New Moon
by sylverskyz
Summary: Saix has always been known as a fierce warrior and a Nobody to be feared, but where did he come from? How did he become such a strong and influential member of Organization XIII?
1. Isa

It's been a while since I've submitted anything, I know. I've been sick and lazy, which is totally a valid excuse.

This is my second Kingdom Hearts fanfic, the first I'm submitting to the site. Sorry to all of you who have me on alert for my FFVII fics. XD I just want to say that I've done a fair bit of research, but I'm not overly knowledgeable about the timeline of things in these games. Seriously, it's just confusing.

Anyway, this is my story/version/theory of how the Luna Diviner came to be. I know something along these lines is a pretty common theory amongst the fans, but I decided to write it out and see if I can have some fun with it. Saix is one of my favourite members of the Organization, and there are so many little things about him that have not been explained (the scars, why he is a berserker, how he got to be on Xemnas' good side, etc.)

This is mainly going to be a serious fanfiction, and I'll be trying to keep the Nobodies in character, but I may sprinkle some crack on it now and then. Just because I can.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners (Square-Enix and Disney), and the story of Isa is mine (although probably a common idea XD)

* * *

Chilly breezes flowed through the night air, the light of a million flickering candles and lanterns gave everything a ghostly feel, and all sorts of monsters and critters went about their business with an undercurrent of life and enthusiasm. There was no doubt about it; the spirit of Halloween was in the air. It was what kept the little town running, and it was the soul of everything that dwelled there. For the aptly named Halloween Town, spookiness never rested, and the jack-o-lanterns never went out. 

Various individuals gathered in the down square, each one of them looking their part. Witches zoomed over children's heads on their flying broomsticks, cackling at an ear-piercing volume. People that appeared to be living corpses pulled off appendages with little disturbance simply for the thrill of scaring another person with the act. One man even juggled his two eyeballs for the sheer joy of it. It was all a sort of twisted jubilee that not many would understand, but the entire town's population adored.

Pushing his way carefully through the congested Town Square, a young man soaked in the displays with equal delight. He was neither a corpse nor a demon; in fact he looked normal to the untrained eye. It was only when he smiled that elongated canine teeth would be shown, giving hint to his identity. However, he was not hissing at bystanders or turning into a bat like the vampires he was often mistaken for. No, he was much different. His show was something to be marvelled.

On bare feet, he moved across the smooth cobblestone ground with much ease and grace. With his tattered dark cloak over his shoulders and long blue-black hair, only his pale face and arms differentiated him from a shadow. The clothes under his cloak were in equally bad shape – his shirt had no sleeves and his pant legs were torn up until just under the knee. Yet, he was a creature that held much respect in this little town that he loved so much.

A light tug on his cloak brought the man's eyes down to the ground, where two children looked up at him with excited and expectant eyes. Otherwise, their little faces were covered with grotesque masks. He smiled down at them, knowing fully what they wanted. They were looking for a fright. He walked along, the fabric of his cloak pulling from their hands. Disappointment was apparent in the children until he stooped to the ground a few feet ahead, and placed his hands down on the cobblestone. They looked on with anticipation before he suddenly whirled around on all fours, snarling inhumanly and snapping at them like a mad beast. For that moment, his brown eyes showed a savagery that could not be mimicked. He pursued them as they turned and ran, stopping only after a couple of feet. His sharp hearing caught their screams, mingled with laughter while they retreated.

He had a chuckle to himself before getting to his feet again. As he turned around, he bumped into a tall figure that was completely clad in black and with a hood on. He might as well have walked into a wall; the person did not seem fazed in the least bit. Looking up at the stranger, he suddenly felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise. Giving an apology, the dark-haired man moved around the person and kept going. As he glanced back, he noticed the stranger watching him from under the hood for a moment before disappearing into the crowd. Shrugging the unsettling encounter off, the young man walked on. He needed to get a good spot for what was to come next.

Music started up soon after, followed by cheers from the crowd. The main even was to begin, and the square filled with even more people. What then occurred was an elaborate parade, following no real defined trail as it wound through the town. The most frightening of the citizens took place in this show, jumping out and spooking those even with the steeliest of nerves. Skeletons and deformed clowns did flips and summersaults down the street, and monsters prowled along the edges for the crowd and made a show of pretending to lunge at random watchers. A witch even cast a spell that put a green burst of light in the sky, which soon turned into hundreds of individual insects that rained upon the square.

From his watching place on an old awning, the cloaked man laughed and brought a hand up over his head to shield himself from the falling bugs. He could see everything from this perch, as the crowd did not hinder his view. He watched as the parade went on and on, and eventually signs of the upcoming grand finale showed up. More skeletons and an abundance of all things pumpkin-themed were the cue that made the crowd go wild. Soon after, a scarecrow with a pumpkin head was carted through the square and set by the fountain. It sprang to life, danced around a little, and snatched a torch off an offering hand. It set its own body of straw on fire, pranced about some more, and dove into the green liquid of the fountain. After the flames disappeared completely, what rose in its place was a tall, skeletal man with a striped suit. Even more cheers rose from the crowd, then. The Pumpkin King had given his show, and it was undoubtedly a frightening one.

Raising his bony hands to silence the crowd, Jack Skellington grinned a little. "Thank you, my friends." He said with a loud voice so all could hear. "But let us not allow the festivities to end yet. The night is young, and we all have plenty of tricks up our sleeves." He appeared to be enjoying this just as much as the spectators. Enthusiasm was part of his charisma. While the crowd was cheering in approval, Jack looked around carefully. "Isa?" he called out once everything quieted again. "Where is Isa?"

Everyone seemed to glance about for a moment until a shout of greeting came from the cloaked man on the awning, and he waved his hand with a grin. Jack chuckled and crossed his long, thin arms before tilting his head.

"Is the night too warm for fur, my friend?" he asked, followed by bits of laughter through the masses. "You don't look very scary."

Isa shook his head and laughed along with the rest of them. "Just saving it for an opportune moment." He called back over the crowd, confident in his words. Jack grinned and gestured widely with his hands.

"Bring us back into the celebration with a howl. Sing to the moon for us!" The Pumpkin King then said, the whole crowd shouting in agreement. At first the cloaked man shook his head and raised his hands in reluctance, but everyone's persistence paid off. Isa stood carefully on the awning and swiftly climbed to the roof of the small building. By the time he reached to top, his skin had already been replaced by thick, dark fur, and his slender face had shifted shape to form a long snout. Whatever clothes failed to cover revealed the form of a large canine. Gripping the shingles with long claws, the beast threw his head back and howled loudly towards the sky. It was long, haunting, and the sort of deep and passionate note that could only come from the depths of a wolf's heart. It drifted over the square, the town, and for miles further.

With many more cheers for the canine's song, the crowd enthusiastically returned to the festivities. Spooks and frights continued into the night, lasting for hours on end. This was what they lived for, and all they knew.

Finding a suitable place to sit, Jack Skellington finally rested his feet after a long night, and basked in the peace and quiet. The only sounds came from far off, the citizens still celebrating in the square. The sounds were distant, and that was good enough for him. Seated on a large slab of rock, the Pumpkin King rested his round chin in one hand as he found himself staring blankly at the massive obsidian sky and the hovering crescent moon. Oh, how awful this new habit of his was. Many nights he would break away from the celebrations just to sit alone. He would ponder and brood, usually over the whole idea of Halloween and the celebrations. Some days he feared that he may be losing interest.

The sound of someone approaching tugged Jack away from his meditations, and he straightened up. Turning his head, he spotted the familiar outline of canine shape, almost lost against the darkness. Slightly relieved, he relaxed a little.

"Is this where you've been hiding away?" Isa asked with a light-hearted tone while slinking over and seating himself on the grass next to the rock. "People are starting to wonder where you disappear to, Jack." Even in the guise of a massive wolf, Isa was very much human. So much, in fact, that his clothes remained on his body and his voice was unaltered. It was quite a sight to behold.

"Even the Pumpkin King needs quiet time." Jack responded, a sigh lining his words. He was content to leave his response at that. "What about yourself, my friend? What brings you out here?"

"The children are malicious just as much as they are full of curiosity." The werewolf replied, his lips pulling into a sort of smile. "They tug on ears and tails quite harshly when they want to."

Jack chuckled lightly, finding himself staring at the sky again. "Must be frustrating."

"It's not so bad, but sometimes it's good to get away from it."

Then, they fell into silence for a moment, both staring at the massive moon in the sky. During this time, Isa let his body change back into that of a human, as it was how he felt more comfortable. He was content to stare up at the giant silver arc in the sky. Being what he was, seeing the moon gave Isa a strange sense of comfort. Not a sound was emitted, and they listened to the celebration carrying on in the distance. Only in a town like this could fear and happiness be so tightly intertwined. Finally, Jack broke their silence.

"Out of curiosity," he began, causing Isa to look at him. "do you ever feel... bored with this place?"

"Not one bit. I'd like to see what else is out there, though. Travel somewhere new, get a fresh start." He smiled to himself. "Why do you ask?"

"I just worry whether or not people are still enjoying Halloween as much as they used to. What is the point of all this trouble if people want something different?" It was clear to Isa that Jack was bothered by something, but he was not being direct. Rather than asking, he shook his head in response.

"Listen to that, Jack." He said, nodding his head back in the direction of the festivities. "If that's boredom, I'm not sure if I want to see otherwise. People know what they want, and don't hide it away." He sent Jack a knowing look, and the skeletal man sighed.

"I suppose you're-" He stopped mid sentence, and looked in the direction of the town. The screams coming from the square had taken and entirely different pitch. Isa's sharp ears had caught it first, and the werewolf as already getting to his feet. Jack gestured for him to relax. "It's likely nothing but a good scare." However, the unsettling new screams continued, coming from many people. It was not the kind of terror in which one found thrilling and amusing, but one of a different breed.

"Something's not right." Isa stated, beginning to walk back at a quickened pace. He looked back to Jack, who seemed reluctant. A shrill scream, louder than the others, hit their ears. Before another second could pass, they were running full speed for the square.

* * *


	2. Bad Scare

Second Chapter!

This one's a bit shorter, but has a lot more going on. I'm not too proud of the last chapter, but I'm never good at those. Once I get things going, the writing gets better. Plus, I have a lot more fun once all the boring stuff is out of the way. XD

I should warn about violence and such. If you don't like blood (or words describing blood), don't say I didn't tell you.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respectful owners (Square-Enix and Disney)

* * *

It took Jack and Isa almost no time to reach the square, and they were fearful of what might be so wrong to spark such disturbing cries for help. In Halloween Town fear was sought after, but it was in good spirits. Nobody was supposed to come to any harm, especially on Jack's watch.

What they found was not the celebration they knew, but mass chaos. People were running about in panic, as foreign, shadowy creatures seemed to be lunging at them. The reality struck Isa when he witnessed several of these creatures swarm and bury one victim. Without a second thought, Isa left Jack behind as he bolted into the middle of the square. Using his powerful muscles and claw-like fingernails, the werewolf tore through the creatures viciously. Rage boiled deep within him, and he was not about to stop until every single one of these was either dead or in retreat.

The foul creatures were relentless in their attacks on the citizens, and they grouped together and took their prey down one at a time. What happened to the victim then, Isa had no idea. Their beady yellow eyes shone in the moonlight, and seemed to hold no resemblance of a soul. A bunch of them jumped up and latched onto Isa, but he tore them away. They wanted to make him a victim, as well. No, he was not allowing himself to be pulled down. He was a fighter, not a victim. His only thought now was to make victims of these monsters. The creatures did not bleed, much to his surprise. Nor did they leave corpses. They simply faded.

Finding his claws were not enough, Isa dodged another group lunge and ran for one of the nearby buildings. Rather than run for shelter and safety like most of the others, he opted to find a suitable weapon. There was little he could find with so little time, but he was willing to improvise. He found a loose plank of wood on the side of a building and ripped it off with a grunt. It was long and heavy enough to make a good weapon. Turning around, Isa found himself cornered by at least a dozen of the attackers, and they were inching closer in slow, fluid movements. If these things had possessed the slightest idea of what a werewolf was, they would have known better than to corner one. Snarling, Isa swung his makeshift weapon and obliterated two of them with ease. The rest jumped for him. Some met the wooden bludgeon while airborne, while others met his claws as he desperately tore them away.

Running away from the building and the risk of getting cornered, Isa looked upwards to see more of the shadows coming down from rooftops. There were hundreds, at least. Two larger figures caught his eye, however. They too were on a roof, but stayed still while the shadow creatures caused the carnage. They had none of the creatures even near them. Despite the darkness, he recognised something about them. They were both human in shape, but covered in all black and wearing hoods. They seemed to be watching the horror below, either staying put out of cowardice, or because they were enjoying the show. Isa opted to assume the latter, and with a snarl, he ran towards the house they were on. If they were causing all of this, he would stop them.

Dodging the shadows as they tried to grab him, the werewolf made the short but difficult journey to the little building. He jumped from a pile of firewood to an awning, and climbed the room from there. He was lucky to be so agile and steady on his feet, otherwise climbing up would be difficult. The two hooded ones were expecting him but only laughed when he ran at them swinging. It was cold and ruthless sounding to Isa's ears, but he still charged. With little other movement, one brought their gloved hand back and swung it when the young man was close enough. Before he could even come within a foot it his target with the wooden plank, Isa felt the shocking force of the back of the enemy's hand colliding with the left side of his face. The sheer power behind the blow sent him reeling backwards. Even more laughter filled the night air. Lucky to still be on the roof, albeit close to the edge, the werewolf pulled himself to his hands and knees. His weapon was nowhere in sight, but that was not important to him in this state. The world felt like it was spinning for a moment, but once blood hit his tongue, everything became strikingly calm.

The screams below faded from his hearing, and it was dominated by his own pulse pounding in his ears. Blood filled his sense of smell and taste. There was no more panic, only pure, channelled anger that left his senses collected and at one with one another. He had two targets ahead of them, and for the moment, his whole world revolved around them. They would die by Isa's claws.

The fiendish snarl that followed was enough to pull a reaction from his cloaked foes, as far as he could see. They stopped laughing, and despite the hoods covering their faces, it was evident that things had become much more serious. Isa's lips curled and he bared his teeth, which were tinted red with his own blood. He could very well get himself killed with his persistence, but such logic never crossed his mind. His claws dug deep into the old shingles and tore them like paper. The two seemed to look at each other, then nod. Not one word was exchanged.

One of the hooded ones raised their hand upwards and seemed to summon a dark, smoke-like disc. It was even darker than the night sky above them. Isa got to his feet, and as he did, a white and purple form slipped into sight through the disc. It was winged, and completely angular in shape. Like a human-sized dragon, that held a wicked spear in its grasp. Everything about, even the purple straps that laced and wrapped around its neck and torso, commanded fear. It landed in front of the werewolf, and seemed to stare at him without eyes. But Isa had no room in his heart for fear, and was not about to let it intimidate him. Claws ready, he lunged at the new foe.

The summoner snapped their fingers, and the armed creature attacked. Unfortunately for Isa, it was too fast for even his sharp reflexes. With the spear, it slashed upwards, and then downwards, both diagonal. Both blows hit the young man in the face, which left him stunned and momentarily blind. He screamed in agony and clutched his face, staggering backwards while trying to regain his balance. The attacker then slammed its body against his, sending Isa over the edge of the roof. The werewolf knew the sensation of falling, but that of hitting the bare ground with his back first was an unwelcome new feeling. All air was knocked out of his lungs, and all he could do was gasp pathetically while still holding his bleeding face. He could still hear screaming, but at that point was unsure whether it was himself or some other victim of this horror.

It was not long before the shadow creatures took advantage of the situation and tried to swarm him. With all the fight that remained in him, Isa thrashed against their dark hold. He refused to go quietly, and in his last moments of rage, two more of the living shadows fell to his claws. A sudden explosion of even more pain in his chest made the man scream again, although he hardly knew it. He was only tortured for a few seconds longer as the pain faded, but at the same time his grasp on consciousness did as well. His last, desperate thoughts before the bittersweet oblivion took over were the flickering remains of his rage, and a despairing pining to see the comforting moon, hanging peacefully in the sky.


	3. Awakening

Third Chapter! 

To be honest, I'm having a hell of a lot of fun with this fanfic. This chapter starts off the really good stuff, I think. I've noticed this has already earned quite a few hits, and I hope people are enjoying it so far. If anyone has feedback, it would be appreciated. But if you're going to outright flame, don't waste your time.

Enjoy!

Minor warning for those who are sqeamish - there's a fair bit of blood in this.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respectful owners (Square-Enix and Disney)

* * *

Waking was a difficult task after all that Isa went through to become unconscious. Yet, slowly but surely, he came to with a painful reminder of the recent catastrophe in the form of sharp pains. His face, his chest, and his back all throbbed and pounded relentlessly, refusing to have mercy on him when he whimpered and curled up as best as he could. In doing so, the man came to a horrifying realization: he was completely naked.

With much effort, he opened his eyes to try and see where he was. He was rewarded with nothing. Blackness. Isa's immediate assumption was that the slashes on his face had blinded him, and he brought his bare hands to his forehead for inspection. Gingerly, he brushed his shaking fingertips over the skin until the found two gashes. He then, careful with the fresh wound, traced them to see the damage. They ran diagonally down his face, starting at the top of his forehead, crossing paths over the bridge of his nose, and ending in separate points just under his eyes. They felt deep, but then again he would not be alive if they were severe. Thankfully, the eyes were undamaged, just sticky and hot with blood that was still escaping his body through the gashes.

In fact, the blood was the only thing warm about him at the moment. The rest of his body was cold, likely from blood loss and having nothing to cover his skin and trap in heat. The ground beneath him was chilly, yet smooth to the touch. A floor, perhaps? Keeping curled up to attempt staying warm, Isa then moved his hands down to his chest, feeling for any wounds. He had, after all, felt a horrible pain there. Yet, as he examined with his hands, he found nothing. Yet, it felt different. As if there was a physical emptiness in his chest. At first he doubted it was possible, but after all that had happened he was not ready to dismiss the unlikely.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Isa shifted delicately where he lay and put his hands on the ground. It took some effort, but he pushed himself up to his hands and knees, however feebly. Shivering, he blinked hard several times in attempts to see. Still, all he could see was blackness. The injured man was trembling, and not liking how vulnerable he felt. He managed to choke out a call for help, but his strained words earned no response. Not even an echo of his voice. Again, he shouted, feeling more desperate by the second. Just when his hope was slipping away, the distant sound of footsteps came to him. Even in this horror, his sharp ears heard enough to know there were two people walking, and they were coming closer.

"Help." He murmured again, this time his voice barely above a whisper. Soon, strong hands grabbed Isa by the shoulders and hauled him up. This was rather painful, but as he yelped and winced, he only had to endure more as his face stung sharply in protest to his pained expression. A blanket of sorts was put around him to cover him up, and the injured werewolf was half dragged along, to a place he had no way of guessing.

No words were spoken by the ones who had picked him up, but their grip on Isa made him feel both safe and concerned. With no way of seeing them, and all scents overpowered by that of blood, the young man could only allow himself to be towed to wherever they were going. If they held good intentions, he was lucky. If not, he was utterly helpless to defend himself. His body was battered, and his spirit was quite worn down at the moment.

Much to his shock and relief, Isa was able to see when light exploded in front of him, a large doorway through which he was taken. Still, his vision was hindered by the blood in his eyes. He made an attempt to ask where he was, but his weak question was not given a response. His two soundless saviours simply kept walking with him between them. Isa had to close his eyes once they walked through the passageway, as the light was overwhelming to his eyes. Without a word, the two deposited him on a cold metal surface, likely a table. He lay on his back with little strength to keep him sitting, and listened as the sound of heavy footfalls moved away from him. He was being abandoned.

"No, wait." Isa blurted out, trying to roll over to push himself up. His fingers gripped the edge of the table and he forced his eyes open. Just barely, he saw two large, dark figures continuing to walk away. "Don't just leave me!" he growled, and could have sworn he heard one of them laugh. It held a sort of familiarity that shook the poor man to the core. Having to close his eyes again, Isa slumped down again and gritted his teeth. He did not like this one bit.

It seemed like forever that he was left there, cold and only with a sheet of fabric to hide his battered body. Everything was dead quiet, which was even more unnerving. Several efforts were made to see where he was during this time. All that lay between the blurred edges of his vision were white walls and floors, what looked like counters and cabinets, and a large brown beclouded rectangle against one wall. It could have been a bookshelf, or even a big door. Setting his head back down on the metal, Isa forced himself to bite back a whimper. It would be a lie to say he was not scared. It was a type of scare he was not familiar with. This was sheer terror and helplessness, and deep down, restrained bursts of rage kept whatever hope he had left, as forced and artificial as it was.

Finally, he heard someone approaching, and lifted his head again. His eyes only made out another black smudge in his vision, but it was coming closer.

"Who are you?" Isa muttered quietly, but once again received no words in response. Hands pushed him onto his back carefully, and only pushed harder when he squirmed in protest. Once he gave up, they left for several seconds, in which running water could be heard. Soon the injured man felt sudden cold on his face, and brought his hands up to cover it. An irked sigh was heard before his hands were pulled away forcefully but carefully.

"Hold still." The voice was male, and carried and air of annoyance. Again, the cold touched his face, and Isa soon realised that it was a wet cloth wiping the blood away. He complied, not wanting to upset the stranger further. He needed help, and it seemed he was getting it. It took a while, but soon Isa's face and around his eyes were mostly cleaned up. Opening his eyes again, the werewolf looked up at the one who seemed to be helping him.

At first all he saw was dark clothing and a mass of long blonde hair, but as his vision slowly cleared, more features became apparent. The stranger had a narrow, pointed face, and almond-shaped green eyes. His expression was one of concentration as he carefully wiped the last of the blood off the man's forehead. He seemed to be mindful to not touch the gashes. When Isa furrowed his brow in confusion, he was given a harsh reminder of his condition with a horrid sting. The blonde sighed again and waited for him to recover from the pain.

"The wounds will never heal if you don't stop that." Then he turned away and faced one of the counters nearby. Isa was quiet, still too confused to really process all that was happening to him. His eyes travelled upwards, where a large fluorescent light hovered overhead. Luckily for his already abused vision, it was not turned on. The fact that this man implied he should withhold expression seemed frustrating. Then again, the reality was that he was not able to move his eyebrows without a horrid pain. Soon the one clad in black returned, a small and thin silver object between his fingers.

"What are you doing?" Isa hissed softly, beginning to panic as the object was brought closer. It soon became obvious that the other was holding a needle, and intending to stitch the wound. "Are you a doctor?"

"Hold still." The stranger repeated, voice gaining a stronger air of seriousness. "I mean it."

One hand was firmly placed on the side of Isa's head to hold him still, while the other brought the needle to the top of one of the gashes. The second the point punctured the tender skin, the young man yelped and tried to turn his head. The 'doctor' hissed under his breath and took a stronger hold to steady him. A second attempt ended in Isa attempting to strike out at the one with the dreaded instrument. All he succeeded in was thrusting his knuckles into the other's ribs. Straightening up with a grunt and stepping back, the blonde sneered at the stubborn man.

"I will call someone in to hold you down." He threatened, ignoring Isa's warning growls. "I am trying to help you, but I could just as easily let you take several months to heal without stitches. Stop being a damned fool."

The two stared at each other for an extended amount of time, in some sense sizing each other up despite Isa's injured state. Luckily for the doctor, Isa's pride was too hurt to allow himself to wind up restrained, and he lay back down. This time, a little more progress was made in the stitching. It was extremely painful, and the injured man could not help but yelp or jerk his head now and then if the needle struck an especially painful spot. The pulling of thread through his skin was nearly unbearable, even for his pain threshold. Eventually tiring of the hassle, the doctor straightened up again.

"Fine, I'll numb the wound." He huffed. Isa narrowed his eyes, unable to fully glare at the strange man.

"You could have done that sooner." He remarked, his annoyance slowly turning into boldness. The blonde rolled his eyes and put a finger to the start of one of the gashes. Much to Isa's amazement and horror, he felt an intense cold radiating from the gloved fingertip, but the soon touched skin lost all feeling. He traced both wounds, numbing the nerves with cold. When it was done, the injured one could only stare up with wide eyes. "How did you-"

"Quiet." With that, the stitching resumed with much less trouble than before. It was still unnerving, even if the pain was almost completely gone. The patient had to close his eyes before long; watching the needle work so close to his face undoubtedly tested his nerves. This all seemed to get only more surreal, but the constant stings and throbs of injuries always reminded Isa that he was not dreaming. He could only lay still and allow the doctor to finish his work. By the time he finished the last stitch, feeling was beginning to return to the patient's face.

When it was all over, the stranger wiped away the tiny stray rivers of blood that had oozed from the wound during the procedure. He then moved to the counter again and peeled off his white gloves. With much effort, Isa sat up on the table, and instinctively brought a hand to his face.

"Don't touch it." The other said blandly, knowing what he was about to do without even looking. Bringing his hand back down, Isa watched the blonde wash his hands and the cloth that was used to clean the blood. His black clothing was a full robe that almost reached his ankles, complete with a hood and long sleeves that were up until recently rolled up and out of the way. Again, it struck Isa with some sense of familiarity, but it was hard to place. When contemplating the other's clothing, he remembered that the only thing between his body and the open world was one sheet of fabric, which (barely) covered what was meant to be hidden. Vulnerability was something he despised, but could not avoid right now. Looking to the back of the one who had fixed his injury, Isa summoned up courage to ask one of the many burning questions that would not quiet in his mind.

"Where am I?" he asked, surprising himself with a more assertive tone.

"You are where you belong." The other said with a tint of finality in his voice. Before Isa could ask him to elaborate, he spoke up again. "If you can walk, there is clothing on the other table for you to put on."

Indeed, there was. With a bit of a limp and a struggle, Isa slid down from the table and moved towards the pile of fabric nearby. As he did, he went to great lengths to over himself as much as possible with the small blanket. It seemed some of his strength was returning, although he felt lightheaded and sore, still. He picked up the first piece he could grab, which turned out to be a long black robe identical to the one the doctor was wearing. There were also black pants, boots, and gloves. He turned his head to look at the other, who still had his back to him.

"I'm not wearing this." He growled, feeling rather sour about the notion of wearing the clothing that unsettled him so very greatly. An amused and pitiless laugh was what he earned.

"Unless you would rather meet the Superior wearing half a towel, I suggest you put the clothing on."

"The who?" Isa growled, not liking the tone being given to him. "I'm getting sick of this, you know. Not one person has answered my questions, and I don't like being left in the dark." Still the blonde did not look at him.

"The answers will be given soon. Now quit being stubborn and get dressed. The Superior is waiting."

An attempt was given to ask again just who this "Superior" person was, but Isa soon found that he was being ignored. With an acidic growl, he put the clothing and boots on, already resenting every thread of it and the doctor who had such a cold and calloused attitude. When straightening the hood, Isa caught a glimpse of a shocking detail that had been lost to him through all of this; his hair was now a shade of pastel blue. When he exclaimed his surprise, the blonde finally turned to him. He seemed amused by Isa's horror.

"That is one of the things that happen during the separation. Don't fret over it; it's just a change in pigmentation. I have yet to figure out what causes it." The doctor seemed very calm, and even smiled. It was, however, more of a smirk than anything. "I used to be more of a brunette, myself."

"What happened to me?" Isa finally demanded while raising his voice. "What is all of this? What happened to my home?" he was letting the anger take over, and as he took a step closer to the other man, he growled. It was a vicious one, and for a moment it sparked a surprised expression from the other. "Enough with this, I want to go back."

The shock faded, and another laugh came from the doctor, and he shook his head. "That's not an option, I'm afraid. You are lucky to be here." He then grew more serious with frightening quickness. "Now take that savagery of yours and contain it. No more questions, for I already assured you that they will be answered."

Immediately after, a large dark circle burst into view near both of them, and seemed to swirl about in strands of black and purple smoke. It touched the floor, and towered over them at a height of at least seven feet. The blonde seemed unconcerned with it, but Isa of course backed away nervously. Out of the dark void walked another man. He was significantly shorter than both of them, and his dusty blue coloured hair was combed expertly over one side of his face. Every little bit about him was suspicious looking. The newcomer wore identical clothing to what they were wearing. He cast a look at Isa, then to the blonde.

"Is he ready? The Superior is growing impatient." The shorter man's voice was monotone, but held seriousness. The other nodded.

"Take him through." Sharp green eyes then moved to Isa. "Mind your temper from now on." Was all he offered in parting before turning back to his work at the counter. The dark-haired one looked to Isa expectantly while backing up and returning to the darkness from which he came. With nothing to call another option, Isa sighed and followed, stepping tentatively through after him. Going back was not up for suggestion, that much was obvious. All the battered and frustrated man could do was follow this stranger into the void, and face the person that was apparently so intent on meeting him.


	4. Saix

Chapter four!

This was hella fun to write, but at the same time challenging. Keeping everyone IC (Other than our main character, who is still far from what we know him as) is going to be interesting, as they are emotionless, but eccentric and unique in their own way. Everyone will be shone in a clearer light in the next few chapters.

Feedback? 3 I want to know how I'm doing.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners (Disney and Square-Enix).

* * *

The darkness that surrounded Isa and the stranger leading him might have been overwhelming, but something about it was familiar, and that was comforting in some way. He could see himself and the other man perfectly well as they walked ahead, the portal disappearing behind him. There was no visible ground beneath them; the darkness only stretched for endless miles below their feet. It was as if they walked on invisible glass. Ahead of Isa, the dark-haired one walked without a word. From what the follower could see, the people here, wherever 'here' was, were not very friendly.

Several meters ahead, a circle of light formed and expanded just as the portal of darkness had earlier. The two walked through, feet resting on a more tangible, stark white floor. If Isa were to guess, it looked like highly polished marble. Behind them, a portal of dark swirled and stood in place. Still following his guide, Isa looked around at the massive circular room they had entered. The walls and high and distant ceiling were both as white as the floor. A bunch of towering thrones, each different in height, lined the continuous, rounded wall. In the middle of this circle was a squat, wide and round platform, on which was a strange silver symbol. Standing on this slightly raised section of the floor were three men, who were all watching the newcomers approach. Isa wanted to shrink down a little, but remained standing straight and tall.

They all wore the same outfit as Isa and the two he had already encountered, and held a distinct air of power. To the left was a large man with his black hair put into long dreadlocks, which were pulled back out of his face. He had large sideburns, like black knives jutting out across the sides of his face. His purple eyes bore straight into Isa, staring at him in an appraising and critical manner. The man to the far right was shorter than the other two, but was no less dangerous looking. An eye patch over one eye and a grisly scar stretching up his left cheek told of many hardships endured, and many battles fought. His hair was black as well, but with defined streaks of white running through it. It was pulled back in a tight ponytail, giving a clear view to his previously mentioned physical attributes.

In the middle of the two, there stood a dark-skinned male with long silver hair. His eyes were a strange shade of orange, and they too stared at Isa so intensely that it caused a cold weight to form in the young man's gut. The mere sight of him; his posture, his resolute expression, made it quite clear who the 'Superior' was. He gestured fluidly with one gloved hand for Isa to approach.

"Thank you, VI." The Superior's voice was not unlike velvet, but it thinly masked a fiercer, less reserved temperament. With those dismissive words, Isa's guide nodded his head and exited through the portal, which faded as he vanished from view. Isa watched him go, slight panic rising within him. Was he to be left alone with these people? The fact that the man had been referred to as a number only added to the poor young man's confusion. He felt briefly cemented in place as he returned his gaze to the three before him. Another gesture to approach got him to move his reluctant feet. To annoy him would not be in his best interests. He stepped onto the platform before them, but still felt towered by means of intimidation.

"Looks like you've had a bad accident." The Superior stated, moving a finger to trace the shape of Isa's newly stitched injury in the air. "A fitting scar." At this, the two at his sides exchanged amused, knowing looks. Uneasily, Isa looked them over before returning his eyes to the man in the middle. The silver haired man made another, less recognisable gesture, and an almost translucent blue letter 'X' appeared a couple feet from Isa's face. Despite the oddness of it all, the young man stood stock still. "Now," the Superior began. "What is your name?"

"Isa." Came the response, thick with forced confidence. Soon after he stated it, the appropriate letters formed above the X and hovered for a moment. The Superior seemed deep in thought, stroking his clean-shaven chin. Isa may not have known what was going on, but something told him that this was some sort of important ritual. Therefore, he opted to withhold questions for now. After some pondering, the man lifted his hand and seemed to guide the letters into place on the same level as the X, as if through telekinesis. They took different formations until reaching one that was satisfactory for him. They formed a new word, a new name.

"Saix." The Superior read aloud. The two at his sides nodded in approval, and the blue letters vanished in a scattering of light. "Number VII, Saix."

It soon became apparent to the young man that he had just been through some strange baptism; a naming ceremony that perverted the only thing about him that had remained untattered until this point. This angered him, and with his anger came a burst of foolish courage.

"Isa." He stated plainly. "My name is Isa." It was the only thing he was still sure of, and would not let it slip away quietly. The three looked at him, mild surprise in their expressions. The one donning the eye patch chuckled a little and shook his head.

"Sorry big guy," he spoke up, strong voice carrying a strange accent. "It's Saix, now."

"_Isa_." Was the only growled response. The Superior gained a serious look that made the stubborn man suddenly feel cold, and took a step towards him.

"Isa is no more." He told the newly named one, eyes like daggers into the soul. "There is no Isa. You are half of him; the empty shell left behind. And that shell is named Saix." The new tone in his voice even made the two dark-haired ones look slightly uneasy. "Are we going to make this difficult, VII?"

With a looming knowledge that there was no winning this strange argument, the young man decided that he would rather lose his name than his life. While the anger faded from his eyes, Saix bowed his head. "No."

"That's better." The Superior said, his tone back to its original smoothness. Saix kept his eyes downcast, instilled with a new, healthy fear of the man. It was the first time he could ever remember being put in his place so easily, yet through the shame it produced grew a strange feeling of respect for the Superior. Silence hung in the massive room, which added to the young man's uneasiness. After a moment, he lifted his head to look at the dark-skinned man, who was staring right back at him. Curiosity burned away at him, and brought a torturous question to his lips.

"If I am not Is-" he stopped himself, opting to chose his wording carefully. "-what I was before, what does that make me now?" His voice was quiet, and lined with subtle desperation. He could have doubted all that they were telling him, but an emptiness inside of him that grew by the minute made him believe it. As if the truth would fill the new void. The Superior was blunt with his response.

"A Nobody." A pause was then given, perhaps to observe Saix's bewilderment and slight hurt. However, the wound on the young man's face prevented too much expression. Soon after, he continued. "You are what is left. A body and a soul - no heart."

"Impossible!" Saix exclaimed, putting one hand to his chest. "How can I not have a heart?" Yet, as he spoke, it became clearer to him what that emptiness within him was; why his chest had felt such a blindingly painful sensation when he was overpowered. The Superior seemed willing to let the outburst slide, and simply shook his head with a small smile. That expression too lacked something.

"Those emotions you feel now are illusions, fabricated by your mind. Realise the difference, Saix." Then, he gave a curt laugh. "Consider those expression-hindering wounds as an advantage in the battle to realise your true nature. You show no emotion, for you feel none."

But Saix did feel something. He could feel a deep, stinging pain deep within that gave him an urge to scream. Never would he howl from the core of his heart. As he stared ahead blankly and choked on air, harshly spoken words attempted to shake him from it.

"It is your mind playing tricks, Saix. Don't fall victim to your own facade." It was the dark-haired man to the left, who up until then had remained silent. Saix kept a hand on his own chest, digging his fingernails into the fabric and gripping it tightly.

"How did this happen?" he asked, looking to the Superior. "Will I never feel again?" He needed an answer; he needed to know how to get it back. The other man's words sunk in, and the emotional pain faded completely. It was true after all. He was just fooling himself now.

The silver-haired man seemed pleased by this desperation. Saix would make a great asset with early signs of such determination to recover his heart. "It shall be explained to you, VII. Have patience." When Saix gave a short nod, the Superior continued. "We are all Nobodies trying to retrieve our hearts. Like you, we want to be whole again. We have brought you into our home, into our Organization, for you have proven your strength of will and bravery in battle. Will you aid us in our efforts?" As he spoke, he watched Saix intently. There was no hesitation in VII's response, and he straightened up and lowered his hand to rest at his side.

"Yes, Superior."

Of course, this earned an approving smile from the one before him, who then turned to the scarred one to his side.

"Xigbar, educate VII one what he needs to know. He has much to learn." Yes, this new recruit would make a great addition to the Organization. His newfound loyalty offered optimism for the Superior. At the order, the man with the eye patch smirked and gave an informal salute with two fingers. He then lifted a hand and created another dark portal.

"C'mon, newbie."


	5. Moonlight

Chapter Five!

Still not tiring of this, yet. I actually almost scrapped this chapter and went right on with the next one, but I think it shows a defining point in Saix's change.

Angry Xemnas is angry. X3

_Note_: I'm not sure about the state of Kingdom Hearts at this time. I just went with that it's there, but not overly shiny and bright with bijillions of hearts in it, yet.

Feedback? 3

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square-Enix and Disney.

* * *

Faint, pale moonlight beamed through the windows and spilled across the white floor, illuminating the otherwise dark room with a soft silver glow. The air hung still, and everything was motionless. Such peace was one of the few pleasures that the Superior could enjoy. He stood at the glass of the large window, staring up at the magnificent heart-shaped object in the sky. As what seemed customary for him, the dark-skinned man was deep in his own ponderings. This strangely shaped moon, still so long from reaching its full potential, was the only think he could feel passionate about.

"Kingdom Hearts is coming along nicely." A familiar voice at the opposite end of the room was enough to derail his train of thought, and the Superior turned around to spot Xigbar fully emerging from a portal.

"I barely heard you enter, II" he commented, knowing that the scarred Nobody was one of the more light-footed and stealthy of the Organization. In his musings, he had almost forgotten that he had sent out for him. "How is the new recruit doing?"

Stopping in the middle of the room and crossing his arms, Xigbar shook his head. "Determined and strong. He's a fast learner, but I don't know about him, Xemnas." He watched the silhouetted form of the Superior in front of the window. "He's a sketchy dude."

The informality of II's speech was forgiven without comment, as the sincerity in his voice reassured that he was serious. Very few could get away with calling the Superior by his name. Xemnas tilted his head the slightest bit. "What makes you think that?" he had seen little of Saix in the past month since his pledge to join the Organization, since the young Nobody was kept busy as Xigbar and the others tested and trained him.

"He's harnessed and controlled his fabricated emotions well, but the kid's a savage when he wants to be." When given a gesture welcoming him to elaborate, Xigbar continued. "He goes from calm to animal-like in half a second. Xaldin disarmed him of his training weapon while sparring, and the bugger lunged at him as if he was going to rip his throat out!" It was clear that Xigbar was rather unnerved by Saix's behaviour. The Superior remained silent for a moment longer, assessing the information presented to him.

"If his Somebody was what you and Number III believe, then I don't find this surprising. Saix may have carried some feral tendencies with him when he became a Nobody."

"He's dangerous." Xigbar intercepted, his voice taking a note that assured that this was not being taken lightly.

"But if such rage can be channelled, we would have a very powerful warrior fighting for us." Xemnas countered, apparently opting for a more optimistic approach to the problem at hand. The smaller man shook his head again, unconvinced.

"Maybe you should see the guy. You'll get what I mean."

Lifting his hand and forming a new dark portal in the air, Xemnas smiled the slightest bit. "Perhaps I will."

* * *

Never, not even in the furthest reach of his memories, had Saix felt so frustrated. But what memories could he use to compare? He grasped desperately onto his last pieces of Isa, but the man he had once been now felt like a stranger, a fictional person. Only through his rash actions could he even remember the half-animal that he was before. As he knelt there on the floor, supporting his upper body with his hands, the desperate Nobody made yet another attempt at shifting. 

He yearned to grow fur, a snout, and all that he thought would be familiar. For hours now he had stayed in one place, focusing all his concentration, strength, and memories to make his body change. Over this time phases of doubt would sneak into his mind, as if he was forgetting what he used to be. The half man, half canine was now only half of a man. Even his sharp fingernails had been left dull and useless.

The room given to him when initiated into the Organization was quite large, with a grand window that gave a fantastic view of the moon. It seemed that you could not go five feet in the castle without a glimpse of the misshapen mockery. But Saix, in a rage, had thrown the large red curtains shut to block it out of his view. It sickened him, and every time he felt the subtle rays of light from that abomination, he had trouble controlling his thoughts and actions. He would black out, only to come to his senses in front of a destroyed chair, or with another Nobody holding him to the ground. It held more power than the moon in his memories, even if not half as bright. He despised it for replacing the one thing he used to hold so dear to him.

When it became quite evident that another one of his attempts had failed, Saix hissed a curse. If he had possessed the ability to, he might have collapsed in a miserable heap of sorrow by this time. Could a Nobody go mad? When remembering the several incidents where he recovered his mind only to find that he had acted completely feral, he had little reason to doubt that it was possible. Sitting on the floor of a dark room and clutching for questionable facts and memories was a good start in becoming a lunatic.

His empty wallowing was interrupted by the ghostly sound of a portal opening up, followed by heavy boots on the floor. Saix lifted his head and looked ahead, his keen vision only catching sight of a shadow in the darkness moving towards him.

"VII." The voice was immediately recognisable. The sternness made the young Nobody tense. "Get up." It was not a request, but an order. Saix only pushed his hands off the ground so he was still kneeling, but his back was straight. Anger was diluting reason at the moment. His eyes narrowed at the shadow ahead of him.

"What is happening to me?" he demanded, his voice loud enough to bounce off the distant walls around them.

"That has already been explained to you. Now quit acting like a child and stand up." An arm was raised, and the curtains over the window to the left were blown open without any further warning. Silver light flooded the room and brought the two Nobodies into adequate view of each other. Xemnas towered over Saix, and his orange eyes seemed to dance with barely-contained anger. But the inferior of the two only flinched because of the moon's light.

"Get that abomination out of my sight!" he shouted. It was the roar of a man filled with animalistic rage and desperation. "That is not the moon. It is a lie."

Before he knew what was happening, Saix was hauled up from the ground by means of Xemnas having an iron grip on the collar of his black coat. The motion was a harsh one, enough to jerk him into remembering who he was talking to. Inhuman strength was displayed as VII was held too high for his feet to touch the ground. The fabric of the coat's collar was wrapped tightly around his neck, making breathing difficult. Already the room felt as if it was spinning. He coughed and clawed at the Superior's unmoving wrist.

"That 'abomination' is the reason why we Nobodies still have a chance to become whole." The tone was calm, yet at the same time dripping with venom. "Our moon is Kingdom Hearts. The moon you believe to have known is not a concern any longer." Saix could only gasp and make a vain effort to loosen the grip on his coat. Before long he was thrust to the ground with enough force to make it impossible to land on his feet. His side hit the floor, and he lay stunned for only a second. As soon as he collected himself, the Nobody quickly rolled over and lifted himself to his feet a safe enough distance from the Superior. Xemnas seemed satisfied with the fear that Saix was showing through his otherwise hateful stare.

"I have destroyed Nobodies like you for less than the shameful behaviour you have shown. Your potential keeps you alive, but unless you can learn to control yourself, your entire being will come to an end." The threat was in no way empty. Xemnas had already shown how little room he had for sympathy. "Am I understood?"

Those last words made Saix feel more frightened than anything else Xemnas had previously said. The Superior could use intimidation expertly, but now it was no mystery whether there was any real power behind it. The younger Nobody tensed his shoulders and erased all emotion from his face. "Yes, Superior." Even his voice had become void of feeling; like words crafted from cold steel. Still, the moonlight made his skin crawl. Not unlike Xemnas, Kingdom Hearts radiated power, and Saix could feel it.

"Good. Return to your training once you have rested." The Superior turned his back to Saix and formed a portal in the air. "After that, you will be issued a weapon and sent on your first mission." With that, he was gone, leaving VII to himself.

Saix watched the other Nobody exit, and watched the now-empty space for a moment. His left arm and hip now ached, along with his neck. After much reluctance he looked to the moon, tentatively stepping over to the window. For the past month he was almost convinced that he harboured hate toward the giant shape in the sky, but now found himself staring upwards for an extended amount of time. Savagery was controlled for the moment, but Saix knew that the moon was a very dangerous trigger.

His old life, past self, and comforting moon were gone for good, it seemed, unless he did what was instructed. What unnerved him about it was the fact that over time he was feeling less and less, as if the moon was pulling all such illusions away from him. Soon there was not even a ghost of an emotion over the fact that he had been sentenced to servitude to a dangerous man and a misshapen moon, all to earn back something that he could barely remember being a part of.


	6. The Luna Diviner

Oh my GOD. D

This chapter was hell for me. It went through several rewrites, quite a bit of cutting, and a whole lot of tweaking. Still, I'm not entirely happy with it. I think I'm cramming to many important things in at once, while making them seem unimportant. Also, it's a HOOGE chapter. I couldn't find a good place to cut it into parts.

Although I want to give each member a good dose of the spotlight and show Saix's opinion of every one of them, it's proving to be quite difficult. I'm also liking how Xigbar is turning out. If anyone has read my FFVII work, they'd see a similarity between how I characterize him and how I characterize Reno.

I'm a sucker for laid-back slackers, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Feedback, please? A huge thanks to those who have submitted reviews. D

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

* * *

"I honestly hope this is less agonizing than before." Was the only form of greeting that Saix received when he entered the room. Frankly, it was more than he had been expecting. He watched the blonde Nobody peel off his black gloves and replace them with sterile latex ones. The first member of the Organization that he had met, the 'doctor', had later been reintroduced to him as Vexen. Apparently he was a scientist of sorts. Still, Saix was undecided of whether he liked this man or not.

"That makes both of us." VII commented in return, before his eyes wandered to a dark shape that hovered in his peripheral vision. It was another male lying on a table, obviously asleep. He was already wearing the appropriate black robes. "A new member?"

"He was brought in a couple hours ago." Vexen replied, setting a tray of instruments on the second, bare table. "I patched up a couple of cuts and he got dressed, but he was too tired and needed to recuperate before carrying on to meet the Superior." Saix nodded as he looked at the newborn Nobody. His golden hair was cut short, and he donned a finely trimmed goatee. Multiple silver hoops through his ears did not go unnoticed, either. He looked so peaceful, so unaware of what lay ahead.

He was not the first to arrive since Saix's initiation, either. Just two weeks ago a young man with bright red hair was taken into the ranks as number VIII. He was an eccentric fellow, who was very thrilled with his new power over fire. Saix had yet to meet the newly dubbed IX, who was apparently a musician with an affinity with water. All the members had a power over an element of some kind, yet Saix still had not discovered his own. Looking at the sleeping newcomer, he wondered what grand power he would end up having.

Vexen motioned impatiently for Saix to approach and sit on the table. Without a word, he complied. The scientist first observed the mostly healed X-shaped scar on the younger Nobody's face, then dabbed at it with a cloth soaked with alcohol. This stung a little, but Saix was unmoving. Over the recent weeks he had begin to develop a stoic nature; pain and insults were rarely dignified with a proper response. His expressions were minimal, and he had taken a firm hold of his previously savage mood swings. Of course, this was a growing mask that hid whatever was stirred up within.

"The stitches look ready to come out. Will freezing be necessary so you don't thrash about like before?" It went without saying that Vexen had held on to his first impressions of Saix. The blue-haired one shook his head and watched as the other picked up a pair of tiny medical scissors.

"No. Carry on." was all he said. Despite the scientist's prediction, VII did not move at all as he carefully snipped away the fine knots of the stitching. With expertly steady hands, he unlaced his work. There was no change in Saix's expression; he only gritted his teeth lightly when the surgical thread pulled through with some resistance. He simply closed his eyes and waited for the procedure to be over. After several minutes, Vexen straightened up, several strands of bloodstained thread having been placed beside the tray of instruments. Another series of dabs with the alcohol-saturated cloth was given, which was slightly less gentle on the tender skin than before.

"All done. Thank you, VII." Vexen stated monotonously before stepping away to remove the gloves and wash his hands. "Be careful with it for the next two weeks. After that, it will be a just scar and a bad memory."

Thanking the other quietly, Saix slid to his feet and went to exit the lab. Like he had been taught, he created a portal in the air several feet to the right and stepped towards it. Vexen's voice caught his attention before he set foot in the darkness.

"I almost forgot. Xigbar was looking for you, VII. It did not seem urgent, but I thought you should know."

With nothing else than a nod, Saix left the lab. He would not seek out Xigbar quite yet; the stealthy Freeshooter would track him down if he had something important to say. Instead, he stepped through the darkness with little hastiness only to step out through a second portal right outside the kitchen. His aim was still slightly off; he had aimed to end up in the room itself. Just inside, he could hear a strange series of instrumental sounds that made a soft melody.

When he first arrived to the castle and joined the Organization, Saix had been surprised to learn that there actually was a kitchen, with working appliances and food stocked in the pantry. Nobodies did not require a lot of nourishment to survive, yet almost every member ate at least on meal a day. The members rarely ate together from what VII could see, and when they did it was only a couple of people at the table at one time. Despite being a large kitchen and dining area, the room was minimal; only furnished with the necessities and having little colour.

Two other members were already in the room when Saix entered. The first he noticed was an unfamiliar, young looking Nobody with light brown hair. Said hair was styled in a peculiar fashion; spiked at the top and long at the back. He was seated cross-legged on the white counter and plucking at a blue

string instrument not unlike a guitar. Saix easily assumed that this was the musician that had recently been brought into the ranks. The music came to a stop when Saix was spotted.

"Hey there." The greeting was rather chipper, and it took Saix by surprise. The musician broke into a wide grin, but he could tell it was a slightly nervous one. Seated at the table was Zexion, the second member that Saix had met. He was reading a book of some sort and had a cup of coffee protectively close by. From what could be seen of his expression through the flipped-over locks of hair, the quiet young man was not very impressed. By now Saix knew that VI revered the concept of peace and quiet, so undoubtedly the music had grated on his nerves.

With a nod of his head towards the more enthusiastic of the kitchen's current inhabitants, Saix stepped over to the pantry wordlessly. Even as his eyes searched the shelves for something worth cooking he could tell he was being stared at. Apparently he was either interesting, or the young one was looking to start talking. Undoubtedly Zexion was an inadequate conversation partner.

"My name's Demyx. Number IX." Even without looking, Saix could tell that the youngster was beaming. "What about you?" Temporarily abandoning his quest for food, the scarred one turned his head to face Demyx.

"Saix." He stated plainly. Apparently this was not good enough, because the musician huffed and set down his instrument with an air of frustration.

"Is everyone here so dull?"

"Careful with your words." Saix replied, keeping his tone level. Despite that, he felt like he had to agree. All of the members kept to themselves and kept conversation to a minimal. Xigbar was an exception, although he seemed to get a kick out of making a nuisance of himself. Demyx cast him a somewhat hurt look when given the warning. Apparently he had not yet grasped the fact that he had no heart. Perhaps in attempts to avoid the expression, Saix turned back to the cupboard and resumed his search. Not one thing looked worth the effort needed to prepare it. A glass of water would have to do. There was a long silence, possibly much to VI's delight, but eventually the new recruit piped up again.

"Where'd you get those scars, Saix?" Perhaps following his superior's words of caution, Demyx spoke carefully and at least attempted to ask in a respectful manner. After retrieving a glass from another cupboard, Saix looked at the boy with a somewhat dangerous look. It was not so much that he took offense to the inquiry, but rather that he barely knew, himself. Zexion intervened without even lifting his eyes from the pages of his book.

"Don't delve into a Nobody's business, IX." He spoke in complete monotone. "And get off the counter."

"You're such a killjoy, Zex." Demyx said with a half-pout and resounding huff. Luckily Saix was facing the sink and not them, or else either Nobody might have caught him cracking a smile. The newbie was brave, that much was obvious.

"Zexion." was the response, spoken only just loud enough to be heard over Saix filling his glass with water from the tap. His tone was laced with annoyance. The musician only laughed. Saix had a guess that this boy was desperate to put on the facade that he actually had feelings. He could only wonder what Xemnas would have to say about it. However, as unhealthy as it was, at least he was not brooding or moody. Suddenly, Demyx emitted a loud yelp. It made Saix whirl around, and unfortunate Zexion to almost choke on the coffee he was sipping with such poor timing.

Standing on the ceiling in all the glory of possessing powers to invert his personal gravity, Xigbar grinned at IX. The youngest Nobody had vaulted himself off the counter and was now practically wedging himself behind Saix. Zexion gave an exasperated sigh.

"Xigbar, I don't think the Superior would like you scaring the new recruits like that." As he spoke, he calmly closed his book and looked up at II. The one on the ceiling chuckled, still watching Demyx with his single eye.

"Skittish little dude, isn't he?" He asked while Saix shifted away, leaving the scared young man without a meat shield. Demyx watched in a mixture of amazement and terror as Xigbar jumped down and landed on the floor. He grabbed the scared boy around the shoulders and ruffled his strange hair. "The kid's got a mullet and a mohawk! That's so awesome." He exclaimed over Demyx's whining. The musician looked rather distraught that his complicated hairdo had been nearly ruined. Saix watched while leaning a little against the counter, hiding a smirk behind his glass. If he had a heart, he might have felt sorry for the young one.

"Please, II." It seemed that Zexion was not finding the humour in this. Xigbar snorted as he let Demyx go.

"A bit grumpy today, Zexy?" He asked, the nickname spoken with a smug and teasing tone. Demyx, despite mourning the brave sacrifice made by his hair, laughed.

"Hah! Zexy!"

The thwarted Nobody simply gave a small scowl and opened his book again to resume reading. Demyx failed to hold back a snicker, and Xigbar nudged the musician with a grin. It seemed the Freeshooter had just found himself a partner in crime. Then without much warning, he suddenly turned to Saix, the silent spectator of all that had just occurred. "You!" An index finger was loosely jabbed in the quiet one's direction. "I've been looking for you."

"What for?" Saix asked, unmoving from his spot. A slight tilt of his head was the only ounce of interest that he showed. Xigbar snorted again.

"Don't jump for joy, now." He then allowed his regular grin to return. "Me and Xaldin'd like to have a word with you. Pretty important, so could you put your wild social life on hold for a couple minutes?" Behind him, Demyx was visibly holding back a laugh.

Allowing himself to smile thinly, Saix put his glass on the counter. "Are you always so fluent in sarcasm when in a good mood?" he asked, purely unruffled by the comments. Xigbar laughed curtly and formed a portal a few feet to Saix's right.

"Catch you later, kid." He said to Demyx in quick parting, giving the boy's hair one last assault with his palm. The musician smiled widely and waved with one hand while retreating back to the counter and his instrument. With that, II and VII exited the kitchen, leaving unfortunate Zexion with the excitable newbie.

Saix was taken to a central part of the castle, one that he had passed through often. It was, structurally, a series of white metal stairways and platforms that led in many different directions. Its formal name was Twilight's View. With their ability to move about using the darkness, the Nobodies rarely ever used it as a passageway. Like a large part of the castle, it was a place for private meetings for quiet contemplation. Several times Saix had retreated to the solitude of this particular place, when he grew tired of the walls of his own chambers. In the middle of the larger platform, Xaldin waited for their arrival. Even with the three of them, the place hung in an emptiness and stillness that would make anyone with a heart feel uncomfortable.

"Was he that hard to find, Xigbar?" Apparently the larger of the two was unimpressed with being made to wait.

"Chill, dude." The gunman said while waving a hand as if to dismiss Xaldin's annoyed attitude. "He's here now." He put his other hand on Saix's shoulder blade and pushed him along lightly and out of the portal.

"And what is it you require my presence for?" Saix asked while lightly shifting his shoulder away. He found himself standing before Xaldin, who silently motioned for him to hold out his hand. Reluctantly, the younger Nobody obeyed. His hand hovered there, palm down, for a moment. Just when Saix wished to ask what this was about, a bright flash of blue light flooded their vision. It was momentarily blinding, but Saix was perfectly still. When it faded, a large sword or club-like weapon hung in the air, its handle resting firmly in Saix's new grip. The weapon was silver and blue, with some accents of gold. The end was tipped with a large circular formation of spikes.

Xigbar gave a low whistle. "That'll do some damage." Saix tested the weight of the claymore carefully; it was light enough, yet heavy enough to, indeed, inflict some casualty. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the gunman grin and lean forward a little. "Like it? Xemnas insisted on making sure it suited you perfectly."

"Did he?" the blue-haired one asked with a tint of amusement while setting the spiked tip on the ground. "I'm honoured." Not even he knew whether such a statement was sarcastic or sincere.

"You can enhance its strength, just as do with your own." Xaldin added, forever straight to the point. He stood with arms crossed, giving Saix that same intimidating look as he did the very first day they had

met. Luckily it did not have the same effect as it used to. "It took a while, but the Superior believes you have proper control of your power, and decided that it is time you started using it."

"Power?" Saix was not entirely sure what III meant by this, but previous events were giving him a clear hint. "You mean the moon's influences." The statement was given a rather dry tone.

"We have seen you draw down the energy of the moon and use it to give you strength-"

"And just about go bat-shit crazy." Xigbar interrupted, earning himself two glares that might have killed a lesser Nobody. He simply crossed his arms as well and titled his head with a smirk. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Xaldin seemed content to ignore him and carry on. "Berserking is what happens when you take in the moons influences. You seem mindless, but you still fought with grace in training. You were lucky enough to learn to harness it. That is why the Superior finds you so valuable."

Saix was silent as he looked down at the wicked claymore in his grasp. Berserking. What an accurate term for it. He had hardly seen Xemnas since their somewhat violent confrontation, yet he knew that his every move had been watched up until this moment. If he had not grown, learned and changed to be the stoic and loyal being he was now, it was doubtless that he would have been disposed of.

"The Superior also insisted on picking your title, as well." Xigbar's words brought Saix back into reality, and he looked to the one-eyed Nobody with an expecting gaze. He was so late in receiving these vital pieces to his identity in nonexistence; Saix knew he was what one would call a late bloomer. Xigbar smirked again and gestured with one hand as he spoke.

"The Luna Diviner. I think it suits you quite nicely."

Diviner. Saix let out a short, quiet laugh and shook his head. He could think what he wanted about Xemnas, but he had some traces of a sense of humour. "I'd say it does, too."

"Now that formalities have been addressed, we can get going." Xaldin spoke with an air of impatience. At Saix's confused silence, the lance wielder glared at Xigbar (as seemed customary). "You didn't tell him about the mission, did you?"

The Freeshooter rolled his eye and sighed in a manner that was much too immature for his age. "Maybe I was getting to it. Get off my back, dude." How someone so laid-back was given such a high ranking was a complete mystery to Saix; Xaldin likely had a similar opinion.

"You're going to accompany Xigbar to another world, where we think the Heartless are going to be invading very soon. It will give you a chance to get some proper experience in battle, and II will see how you do controlling lesser Nobodies." Xaldin explained to VII once he was done scowling at the one-eyed Nobody. "You leave immediately."

Saix stared at the third in command for a moment, giving him a knowing look. "I can assume that we'll also be looking for an additional member?" Surely they were not chasing the shadowy pests around just to hunt them for sport. They would do what had been done several times before; stand on the sidelines and scout for a poor, stubborn soul who will fall victim to the Heartless.

But this was not graced with a response. An eruption of darkness burst between them, and Xigbar pulled up his hood before stepping through. Xaldin wished him luck rather dryly and vanished from sight. Left by himself for a moment, Saix breathed out a soft sigh and again looked over his new weapon. Luckily for him, he had no heart to dictate his conscience; otherwise he would feel horrible over what he was about to take part in. A subtle crawling of his skin kept him from falling too deep into thought. The Nobody looked up, far up, to a platform that hung high above. His senses were proven accurate as his yellow eyes set on a familiar face framed by well groomed silver hair.

The orange eyes staring down at him, although a good distance away, held none of the anger that they did the last time he saw them. Yet, they continued to appraise him, as always. The Luna Diviner stared back up for a moment at the one standing above him; every second of this meeting had been soaked in and evaluated. Wordlessly, he dismissed his claymore almost naturally without a single gesture, raised his hood, and then stepped into the darkness.


	7. Witnessing Rebirth

Chapter Seven!

Two chapters in one weekend? D I'm on a roll.

This one took a completely different direction than I expected. I don't think it's as good as if could have been, but I was eager to get it done. Just because I adore Marluxia so much,�I thought I'd make him (especially his rebirth) a big part of the story. Not many people take him seriously, I think. Yeah, he's a perfect character when it comes to crack (as his appearance just screams 'blatant homosexual'), but remember that he is the badass villian of CoM. If you watch the cutscenes of the re-done Japanese version for PS2, he's a really serious and dangerous Nobody. I'm guilty of almost cracking him up in this fanfiction, but I decided to change that for his first chapter. Still, I'm not above sillying things up later on. Like I said, he's very crackable. /rant

Marly's�home world�in this story�is a tribute-of-sorts to CheshireCatWoman, who is writing a great fanfic on his past. We're in total agreement on where he came from. X3 Plus, she's awesome and really sweet.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

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Screams and other sounds of chaos filled the cool evening air, as bewildered and frightened citizens rushed in a mad frenzy with no real destination in mind. They searched for safety, scrambling over each other to get away from the unknown force causing all the horror. Heartless lunged at anyone that came within reach, latching on and dragging down their prey like the effective predators they were. The agonising shrieks of those pulled under the mass of dark forms were shrill yet brief. The Heartless would then scatter, with an additional number to their pack. There was hardly any blood spilled in this type of massacre, but the setting sun cast rays of orange and pink that made the pathways and lawns seem as if they were awash with it.

A calm spectator of the entire scene, Saix witnessed countless people fall victim to the waves of Heartless. He and Xigbar stood on the balcony of a large, expansive castle, treated to a wonderful view of the undoing of so many happy lives. The Luna Diviner knew how familiar this was; the last shreds of his memories reminded him that he was once one of those unfortunate souls, fighting for his life and others. Yet there was no guilt, no sting deep within. He simply stood there, leaning against the gold balcony railing, as strangely-shaped beings battled the Heartless in a hopeless effort. Their bodies reminded him of playing cards, each with a number and suit. Other citizens seemed more humanoid, yet most of what was seen in this world failed to make sense.

Even before the Heartless arrived, the two Nobodies had been audience to a strange sport played in these very royal gardens. It was a game Saix could not recognise, but it was played by using oddly shaped birds to hit balled-up rodents around the course. One of the players must have been the queen of this strange world; at the slightest inclination that she may be losing, she lost her temper, had a violent fit of rage, then her rival was dragged away for beheading. Xigbar, of course, found this hilarious. "'Guess we know what time of the month it is." He had commented slyly while lightly nudging Saix in the ribs with his elbow.

But now, the madness was more widespread. The queen herself was surrounded by card guards who were trying to fend off any Heartless trying to attack her. Over them, she shouted orders with that bellowing, obnoxious voice that made Saix wish that the Heartless would just hurry up and take the insolent wench to the ground. Still something about this concerned him. The Heartless were winning easily, and their numbers were growing at a rapid pace.

"Should we not be worried about the Heartless?" He asked calmly, looking to Xigbar. The second in command shook his head. Even though the hood covered his head and face, it was obvious he was grinning.

"More Heartless means more Nobodies. And more Heartless also means more hearts to be harvested for Kingdom hearts." The Freeshooter chuckled. "Besides, we do our part to thin the herd." With a flick of the wrist and a gleam of purple light, one of Xigbar's guns was summoned into hand. With quick and expert aim, he fired a single round and decimated a Heartless before it knew its fate. It was a good distance away, running across the vast lawn with a group of others. A glowing heart burst from the fading blackness and flitted into the air before disappearing. Another addition to Kingdom Hearts. The ones standing around it turned their attention to the cause of their comrade's downfall, and changed their course. Although Heartless probably were not smart enough to climb that high, this reaction was what II wanted.

"Just as I taught you, kid." Xigbar then said, leaning the large gun back to rest it on his shoulder. "Summon some Nobodies and let them do their work. With some luck, you won't even need to whip out your weapon."

Straightening up, Saix nodded and took a second to focus. It was actually a challenge with all the chaos taking place and distracting his senses. He raised a hand, and on the cobblestone pathway between the castle and the approaching Heartless, three bulky white and silver shapes rose from a pool of blackness. They had massive hands and feet, and wielded silver weapons similar to his own. As if following his unspoken will, the Nobodies met the Heartless head-on and cleaved through them easily with their claymores. Before a moment could pass, the threat against them was gone, and three lesser Nobodies stood at attention, facing the chaos ahead and standing guard.

"Not bad, VII." The superior of the two laughed. "Not bad at all." Saix smiled to himself and dismissed his Nobodies with no trouble. They faded back into a burst of darkness and disappeared from view. It amazed even him, what a quick learner he had become. He could never remember being one to seek or crave power, but the more he realised he had, the more thrilled he became.

"And now, we get to the fun part." The tone that carried Xigbar's words was almost wicked. "Keep an eye out." He did not have to explain what he meant; Saix knew that now was the time to scout for a new member. They would watch and wait for some poor, strong-willed person to be overthrown and split into a Heartless and Nobody. With any luck, they would find someone strong enough to join the Organization. Still, they remained on the balcony, out of the way but with a perfect vantage point. The two watched, but all they could see were hopeless citizens, bumbling card guards, and a shouting queen. Frankly, Saix felt that not one of these people would make even a suitable Lesser Nobody. With a sigh, he looked to Xigbar.

"Nothing but fools and easy prey for the Heartless." He commented sourly. "This is no place to find someone to join our ranks." However, Xigbar chuckled and wagged a finger at the Luna Diviner, before pointing down to a cluster of rose-laden trees. Amongst them was a young man desperately fending off Heartless, using a small scythe. That tool, coupled with his dirty and well worn attire, suggested that he was a farmer or gardener of some sort. He did not look like he stood a chance, but he was fighting with what seemed like every ounce of his strength and was not going down without a fight; true signs of a strong will and heart.

"That looks familiar." Xigbar noted, his shoulders shaking a little with a knowing laugh. "Let's hope he's not dumb enough to think he can come after us."

Something told Saix that he should be offended by such a statement, but the reason was just as clouded as most of his memories. He ignored it, and they resumed watching. The young man fought on, slashing at any shadowy creature that lunged his way. He looked almost peasant-like, but his thin frame hid an outstanding amount of strength. Saix could hardly believe that he missed him; the gardener's bright red hair, illuminated by the nearly-set sun, was a stark beacon against the mass of green foliage and black creatures. He was horrified by what was happening, but unyielding in battle. Once a clearing had been made, he made a run for it. With swift legs fuelled by terror, he headed straight for the castle doors. It was not a long way to sprint, but somehow VII knew that it felt like a mile to him.

"Oh no he doesn't." Xigbar stated with an almost predatory tone. He brought his gun back down and fired a shot. The glowing bullet stuck into the ground at the man's feet. Coming to a stop with a shocking feline grace, the redhead looked up at the two cloaked ones in the balcony above and gritted his teeth angrily. Another bullet inches from his feet made him jump back a little, scythe still in hand. "Think I can make him dance?" Xigbar asked as he took aim a third time.

"Quit playing games." Saix growled, continuing to watch the trapped man. "He's where we want him to be."

Ignoring a comment claiming that he had no sense of humour, VII stared down at the unfortunate gardener. The Heartless rushed him from behind while he was distracted with staring at Xigbar's deadly gun. He fought. Oh, how he fought. It took a long time, but he was dragged down like the others. The scythe clattered to the ground, and he screamed in agony and fearful rage. The Freeshooter dismissed his firearm and summoned a portal before the blood-chilling cry had even ended.

"C'mon kid. He's ours now."

It was all so familiar. The darkness, the cold, the choked cries for help. This time, Saix was the one holding the role as the 'saviour'. Their target had become exactly what they had expected; a neophyte worthy of the black robes. Naked, shivering and in a great deal of pain, the newborn Nobody was found in the void between existence and lack thereof. Xigbar and Saix hauled him up wordlessly and pulled him through into his new home. His light weight may have made him easy to hold up, if it were not for the fact that he put up a fight. It seemed that fear shadowed pain at the moment.

The newborn demanded to know where he was and who they were. Still without uttering a sound, they two brought him through and into the lab. The member that VII had seen sleeping there earlier was gone. He was set down on the metal table, and Saix was given another dose of déj� vu as the neophyte lay on the table in a paralyzed confusion, and he was still long enough for Xigbar to throw a small blanket over him. Other than a bit of blood trickling down the side of his face he did not appear hurt, but was still weak. His bright red hair was now a stunning shade of pink, which Xigbar found amusing.

"Dude looks like a lady." He quipped under his breath so only Saix could hear, before snickering to himself. VII just shook his head. The two went to leave the lab, but the ex-gardener was not going to make it easy.

"Stop." He yelled loud enough so that it hurt Saix's sensitive ears. He turned, his face still cloaked by his hood. "Who the hell are you? What did you do to me?" The young Nobody may have been weakened by recent events, but he was sitting up and glaring daggers at them. How weak had Saix been when he was brought in? Temporarily blinded and suffering from blood loss, he had certainly given his rescuers a lot less trouble.

Drawn in by the commotion, Vexen entered through the doorway and crossed his arms. His sharp green eyes looked from the upset neophyte on the table to Saix and Xigbar. "You were going to just leave him unattended and wait until I noticed him?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Xigbar replied with a shrug, which did not amuse the scientist one bit. With a scowl and frustrated sigh towards II, the blonde moved over to the newborn and looked him over once. The pink-haired one shifted away distrustfully.

"Don't touch me." He hissed in a manner that even Saix found to be vicious. Vexen told him to calm down and reached out a hand to inspect the cut on the other man's head, but he received no compliance. Instead, the angry Nobody lashed out at him, missing his face by millimetres.

Saix and Xigbar had him down before a second could pass. Still, he thrashed and screamed demands to be taken home. Despite all he had been through, he still had a lot of strength. He did not tire for a long time, and even when he did he cursed them. He cursed them all to places they had never heard of. Vexen cleaned the wound as best as he could, surprisingly quiet and without a sharp retort to give in return.

It was a battle the whole way through. Even getting him dressed was a struggle; obviously he was not easily embarrassed about being exposed. Every second of the way he gave resistance, but luckily for them his strength had been mostly worn out over this time. Still, he had a rage that made Saix wonder just who the true berserker was.

When it was done, the neophyte stood there weakly, leaning on the table for support. He continued to glare at the ones who had put him through such torture. He was winded, as were they. His lighthearted attitude seemingly forgotten for the moment, Xigbar formed a portal while growling a sourly spoken command."Let's go."

The fight finally worn out of him, the newborn sighed and bowed his head with what he did not know was the illusion of misery. Saix snarled a second, less gentle order for him to follow Xigbar, and for once there was compliance. He shuffled on tired legs after the Freeshooter. They left without further issue, leaving IV and VII in the lab. The Chilly Academic muttered something under his breath, and Saix turned to him.

"Are you alright?" Not that there was any concern there, but he thought it polite to ask. Vexen thumbed at his left wrist for a moment with a wince before pulling something out from under the skin. It was a sharp black thorn, bloody and fierce looking.

"He is going to be trouble." The scientist sneered, tossing the thorn into the nearby trash bin and putting a clean cloth to the small bleeding wound in his wrist. "He has his power already, and more strength of will than I find comfortable."

Saix was silent as he created a portal to take himself into his chambers. He was exhausted, and wanting nothing but rest. "A threat to everyone else is a powerful ally to Xemnas." That was, after all, why he was still living. Vexen simply muttered something else, apparently done with the conversation. Eager to put this long day to an end, VII retired to his chambers and slept, blanketed by the rays of moonlight flooding in through his massive window. For a rare occurrence he was lucky to have no feelings. If he did, the knowledge of the terrible moral crime he had just committed would have haunted him out of the possibility of sleep.


	8. Meeting

Finally, a new chapter. My apologies to everyone waiting for an update; the past few weeks have been hectic. This chapter is pretty short, but it's just to get the ball rolling on this plot. After this, things should actually get interesting. Also, I've taken a liking to abusing Saix a little, if you can't tell. XD

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Disney and Square-Enix.

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As soon as the door opened, a distinct collection of snickers served to be Saix's greeting. With a venomous glare he stalked by the ones who seemed to be so amused by his appearance, a sloshing sound with each step stripping him of what little dignity he had left. It took much willpower to not turn around and let his frustrations out on them. This day, like the several before, had not been good for him. Still unable to stifle laughter, Xigbar leaned against the wall and watched as the berserker attempted to wring his hair dry.

"Still stuck training Demyx, huh?" he asked, obviously very amused by how dishevelled the dangerous Nobody looked when he was soaked from head to toe. Saix was beginning to regret not simply taking a portal to his room to change. He just wanted to get out of that training room

"He's not a fast learner." VII growled, attempting to ignore the four sets of eyes that were soaking in his humiliation. As if Xigbar and a mildly amused Xaldin were not bad enough, two younger neophytes accompanied them, about to go in to train and hone their skills. No doubt they were numbers X and XI, the former being the pink-haired menace he had helped recruit.

"Looks to me like he is." This comment came from the young Nobody at the Freeshooter's side. He spoke with a defined accent of some sort; one that was unfamiliar. Saix snorted and continued walking.

"Hardly. If he feels threatened he starts spraying water all over the place." He said, mainly speaking to himself. He heard them exchange words, laugh one more time, and then walk into the room where Demyx was finishing with cleaning up all the water. Again, the object of their entertainment glared back at them as they were leaving. He was surprised to see that the younger of the two neophytes was staring back at him, hanging back from the group. Even though his face was framed with rather feminine looking hair, the one named Marluxia carried a dangerous, sly expression. He was casting Saix a measuring look, thinly masked by a snide sense of satisfaction. The soaked berserker, unbeknownst to himself, let a growl rumble in his throat. Without a word XI shook his head and followed the others.

Continuing down the hall, Saix bit back a curse. Something about that Nobody made his hair stand on end. He had already made himself quite involved in the Organization's efforts, but at the same time something about him was simply not right. Even for lacking a heart, he seemed cold. What's worse, he only received praise for accepting his new life so quickly, and being such a concrete and malicious thinker.

Saix began muttering softly to himself on his way to his room, possibly to attempt to ignore how cold he was from the water soaking every inch of him. He had taken to being consumed enough in his bad mood to be brooding about anything that he could think of. Being wet, that smug pink-haired bastard, his growing headache, the fact that he was only left with burnt toast for breakfast that morning... anything. That could be why he nearly walked right into a tall figure when turning the corner. Snapping to his senses, the berserker quickly stepped back and looked up from the stark white floors. Xemnas was looking at him with a rather odd expression. It was almost one of those amused, motherly, 'I look away for two seconds and look what happens' looks.

"I was wondering what was tracking water through my halls." The Superior commented calmly, glancing past Saix at the trail of water left by his waterlogged boots. Slightly embarrassed, Saix tensed his shoulders a little.

"My apologies." He surprised himself with a slight lack of sincerity. That feeling doubled when Xemnas smiled thinly. He had expected anger from the Superior, and not much else.

"You will be happy to know that IX's training is no longer your responsibility. I have a new assignment for you." Saix knew that as the taller man spoke, he was reading his expression and posture. Therefore he did nothing but raise his eyebrows a little. Xemnas then walked past him, still watching the scarred neophyte. "Get cleaned up, then join me in the meeting room." This was spoken in a tone that was more of an order than anything, and Saix nodded without a word. In the back of his head, he only dreaded what menial task would be tossed his way this time. On the way back to his room, Saix took care to watch his surroundings a little more, not wanting to collide with anyone lest he bite their heads off for getting in his way.

Once dry and calmed down, the Luna Diviner wasted no time to catch up with Xemnas. Through the darkness he materialized in his own seat, a tall white throne with his number engraved into the top of it. Several others awaited him; Vexen, Zexion, and the rather large Nobody Lexaeus. The Superior sat at the highest throne, as always.

"Nice of you to be so punctual." Vexen greeted curtly, his thin arms crossed. The scientist always had something to complain about, it seemed. Saix cast him an annoyed look, but did not grace him with a response. Xemnas spoke up once the short exchange between the two was settled. It seemed that even he had grown used to IV's sometimes aggravating critical view on things.

"I have gathered you here to discuss the possibility of the Organization obtaining a second base of operations." As always, the Superior spoke in a calm, velvet voice. Although the room was large, the great amounts of empty space allowed voices to be carried without the need to raise them. Everyone listened intently, all eyes on the silver-haired man. "After the idea has been mentioned in past meetings, Zexion and Lexaeus have begun searching for a suitable place."

Indeed, the suggestion of a new castle for the Organization had become a popular one recently. Not one member had qualms with the notion, so it was no surprise to Saix that Xemnas had already arranged for one to be found. In fact, there was a good chance that the rapid increase in new recruits was planned simultaneously, to make sure that both bases would be properly manned.

"I believe you two have found something you deem adequate?" Xemnas continued, looking from Lexaeus to Zexion. The smaller of the two nodded and leaned forward.

"It is a place that exists between or beyond light and dark. There is a large castle with at least two dozen levels - including underground. Around it is nothing but empty field. Lexaeus and I did not have much time to inspect it, but it seems to be completely abandoned." As he spoke, the small man produced an image in the middle of the room. Zexion's power to fabricate illusions was a rather strange one, but he knew how to put it to good use. Not unlike a scale model of the castle, the translucent image depicted both basement and above ground floors. "The lower levels would be suitable for the laboratories, while the higher ones seem inhabitable. There is almost no damage to the building itself."

"What strikes me as odd," Saix chimed in, still observing the castle model. "is the lack of people. No squatters, or even a Heartless?"

"There were a few Heartless, but they scattered after a short confrontation." Lexaeus spoke up. "Other than them, we found no other signs of life."

"That is a bit of a concern, but for all we know the previous owners were _turned into_ Heartless." Vexen commented. "Nevertheless, we should inspect it thoroughly before any decisions are made. I refuse to risk good lab equipment."

Xemnas finally spoke up after apparently being deep in thought over the matter. "Saix," This brought said Nobody's attention to him. "You will accompany Zexion back to this castle. You will eliminate any threat, big or small, and report back to me. And VI," he turned his head to look at Zexion. "I want a full assessment of the building's condition, particularly the basement levels. You know what equipment we plan to place there."

"May I request permission to make a final inspection on these facilities before the laboratory is moved?" Vexen was nothing is he was not thorough. What could have easily been a look of annoyance flashed across the Superior's face.

"Granted. Zexion, Saix, you leave first thing in the morning."

Almost in complete sync, both Nobodies nodded. "Yes, Superior."

With that the meeting was dismissed, and every member went their separate ways. Saix had no real destination, but settled down on the stairs of Twilight's View. It was quiet, which he wanted. The meeting had proved to be enlightening in many ways. His presence suggested that in some manner, his opinion was valued. Still, he had quite a ways to go if he hoped to earn the respect of others. Perhaps his Somebody had possessed a competitive streak, because the berserker had found himself determined to rise above being a spineless, blind follower. He knew he was better than that, and he dared to believe that the Superior knew that as well.


	9. Discovery

Chapter Nine!

It's a bit short, but my brain completely crapped out halfway through and I lost some ideas I failed to write down. XD Apparently my brain works like a dysfunctional computer.

I just want to say that I love Zexion as a subject to write about. He's so damn _interesting_. It may seem like I'm not characterizing him right in this chapter, but remember that he's a master of deception. That's why I adore him. Also, abusing Saix is _still_ amusing for me. I'm not sure when that will stop.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters.

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Dismissing his claymore and settling down in the closest chair, Saix breathed a quiet sigh. He soon regretted doing so, as a fine cloud of dust erupted around him the second he hit the cushion on the seat. This castle was indeed in good shape, but had not been cleaned in years. He was increasingly sick of sneezing from the airborne dust he kicked up with each step. After a full day of exterminating Heartless, the berserker had to admit that he was rather tired. His muscles were beginning to ache from the repeated task of chasing down and killing the little black beasts. Yet he felt as if something still lurked despite all his work. Perhaps some of the smarter ones were hiding.

Letting his eyes gaze around the room, the Luna Diviner observed every detail; more appropriately the lack thereof. Much like the castle they called home, this one was very minimal in terms of furniture and wall coverings. The walls and floors, behind a thick layer of dust, were pearl-white and looked as if they were made of marble. Saix was lucky to find a chair, but only after several minutes of searching. Still, as assured, the place was perfect if it were to be cleaned up a little.

"Taking a break?"

Zexion's voice derailed Saix's train of thought, and caught him by surprise a little. He calmly looked to the smaller Nobody standing in the doorway and nodded. "I've cleared all the Heartless out. Of all twenty-five floors." The second part of his statement was lined with the slightest tint of annoyance. Personally, he thought that many floors was a bit much, even for a castle. Zexion smiled a tiny bit and tilted his head.

"I'm sure you'd rather spend a day hunting Heartless than training new members."

Saix gave a somewhat empty laugh. "It is a lot less tedious and repetitive." In fact, he was sure that he would have been thrilled about the new mission if he possessed a heart. "Have you finished your inspection of the castle?" As capable as VI was, it seemed like a rather large task for one Nobody.

"Just about. The lowest two floors are still need a final check. After that, we can head back." Zexion then paused for a moment before glancing back the way he came and looking a little unsettled. "Are you sure you destroyed all of them?" He asked Saix tensing his shoulders as if suppressing a light shudder. "I've been getting the feeling all day that I'm being watched. It won't go away."

The berserker got to his feet again and listened carefully. He understood the feeling that his companion spoke of. Nothing tickled his senses aside from dust, but something was definitely there with them. "It's been bothering me as well, but I'm positive that I cleared out anything I saw that moved." It irked him quite a bit, but at least he knew it was not just him who felt it.

"Well, I will complete the assessment and leave this to you." Zexion said as he shrugged it off. Without another word he was gone, exiting with a ghost-like grace. With an agitated mutter Saix went in his own direction in search of the strange presence.

Without making a sound he stalked the halls of the castle, every sense sharp and ready. At times the presence felt distant, at others it was close, as if what he was hunting lay just around the next corner. For a fraction of a second he wondered if he could be chasing something more supernatural than himself. A spirit? No, of course not. That's just ridiculous. Ghouls and the like were akin to the childish idea of vampires or the boogeyman; nothing but empty stories.

Then, as Saix was ready to give up and declare both himself and Zexion to be simply mad, he finally heard a sound. It was the tapping of light feet across the endless tile floor. He spun around, having heard it behind him. A shadow slipped around the corner, too small to even be the other Nobody he knew to be in the castle. VII bolted after it, throwing subtlety to the wind. As he reached the intersection of hallways, he watched his prey duck into a room. How strange... It was evading him far too much to be a Heartless.

The Luna Diviner reached the half closed door and stepped through it. Nothing but stark white walls and floors greeted him. This was getting old pretty quickly. Silently, he stepped further into the room and let his eyes search everything within vision. The large room was thick with dust like the others, and hung in an eerie silence. However, Saix soon sensed movement behind him and acted accordingly. Two towering berserker Nobodies instantly formed out of thin air and blocked the doorway. A scared yelp informed him that his target was trapped. When he turned, he was quite surprised by what he saw.

A young girl stood between him and his lesser Nobodies, at a complete loss of what to do or where to go. She had golden blonde hair and wore a simple white dress. For being in a place such as this, she appeared very innocent and frightened. She looked up to Saix and stepped back, apparently more scared of him than she was of the less humanoid Nobodies.

What in the world was a child doing in this castle? Saix stepped over to her, closing the gap and making the young female tense. She could have easily been a Nobody, unaware of her lack of real emotion. If so, she might know information about this castle. "What's your name?" he asked. His tone was probably not as gentle as it could have been. He could not help it if he felt no sympathy for her, could he?. The girl flinched as if he had threatened to strike her, but said nothing. Saix knelt down to be eye level with her, but his own eyes held nothing but annoyance. He repeated the question with even less softness. Her tiny breaths quickened in what could have been panic, and she stepped back further towards the stock-still Nobodies blocking her from freedom. With a glare he reached out and took a hold of her shoulder. Suddenly, Saix felt a very sharp pain in his nose that had him seeing stars for a couple of seconds.

He cursed and grabbed out at the girl who had slipped away while he was stunned. All he could smell soon after was blood, as it now dripped from his throbbing nose. The girl retreated to the back of the room, rubbing her knuckles and looking very shocked at herself.

"You little wench." He snarled getting to his feet. Before he knew it he was crossing the room and summoning his claymore. Nobody or not, she had just sealed her own fate. Just as his mind began to cloud over and succumb to rage, Saix suddenly halted when he heard a rich chuckle. Out of a Dark Corridor to his right emerged Zexion, who was failing to hide an amused smile.

"Number VII, she is but a _child_." He said, gesturing for him to put down his weapon. "We may not have hearts, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to remember what it is like to have one." He then stepped towards the girl, who shrank down once she found herself cornered. "Hello, there." He smiled at her with a sweetness Saix had not believed was possible, and held a hand out to her. It was all obviously a charade, but it was one he played well.

"Leave me alone." The girl finally spoke, her voice soft but shaky with fear. Zexion did not move from his spot. He seemed to leave her room to run if she so wished, even though she had nowhere to go but elsewhere in the room and closer to the larger, armed Nobody that had terrorized her.

"We're not going to hurt you," Zexion assured her, his voice quiet and gentle as if he was trying to beckon a scared creature out of hiding. "My friend here simply has a nasty temper." They both looked at Saix, who dismissed his weapon irritably before going back to nursing his bloody nose. That seemed to put the female at ease a little bit. Zexion looked back to her. "Now, where did you come from?"

She hesitated, but eventually answered him. "I... I don't know. I woke up here a while ago, but I don't remember anything before that. Just bits and pieces." Her little body shivered. "There's no-one else here but me." The girl was obviously unsure and confused, and the two men exchanged looks. It was very likely that she was a Nobody.

"Well, we know a person who might be able to help you." Zexion then said, one hand still out to her. "Will you come with us?"

A long pause followed that question as the girl seemed to weigh her options and attempt to decide if she could trust them. Perhaps eventually figuring she would rather take a risk than spend another minute alone, she reached out and took Zexion's hand. He smiled to her again and stood. "What's your name?" he certainly asked this a lot more kindly than Saix had. That was perhaps why he got an answer so easily.

"Namine."


	10. Loyalty

Uhm. I apologise. I promised this chapter like... two weeks ago? XD Sorry guys, I've been insanely busy between full-time work and a newfound social life.

Anyways, I had too much fun with this chapter. Have I mentioned yet that I love Marluxia? 8D

I should give a slight violence warning, but it's really not that bad.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Disney and Square-Enix.

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"And where is the girl now?" Xemnas asked, glancing over his shoulder. The Superior walked down the stark-white corridor leading towards the lab with Lexeaus, Marluxia, and Saix in tow. Ever since Namine had been brought back to the World That Never Was, the castle had become a lot busier. Those who were not responsible for her well-being soon found themselves occupied with snooping around and asking questions about the strange female. Luckily for her, Xemnas was interested in keeping her around long enough to find out what she was.

"Number IX is keeping her occupied for the moment." Saix was the one to reply. It seemed that the girl had taken a liking to both Demyx and Zexion; she barely said a word to anyone else unless pressed. She outright avoided Saix, but that was much to his relief. Apparently he was only capable of giving children nightmares. Vexen was having a hard time running tests on her, as she made quite a fuss about it. For the sake of their own dwindling patience, her captors had given her a short break from it all for the past two days.

"At least we've found a use for him." Marluxia muttered under his breath, obviously referring to Demyx. Very few members of the Organization were fond of the musician, and wondered why he was still around. No-one replied, but Lexeaus narrowed his eyes at XI in silent warning.

"I suppose the sooner Vexen gets the results we need, the sooner we will know whether she is worth dealing with." Xemnas continued, ignoring the remark. "Saix, please go fetch the girl and take her back to the lab."

"Yes Superior." The berserker hid his disappointment quite well. He knew Namine would outright refuse to go anywhere with him. He broke from the group and went in the opposite direction, towards the room where the girl was being kept. Saix walked down the hallways rather than through a portal, preferring to take his time. His sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps following after him, despite how light and quiet they were. The distinct flowery scent that trailed as well gave away who his stalker was.

"He doesn't have a clue, does he?" Marluxia spoke before he could be called out. Apparently he had slipped away from the others as well. By now the Graceful Assassin was in-step with Saix, slinking up on the berserker's right side. There was bittersweetness in his voice.

"And who would 'he' be?" Saix asked in monotone, glancing at the pink-haired neophyte. He was quite irked that Marluxia had followed him, as their unspoken rivalry was quite bothersome at times. Those eyes watched him even more critically than those of his superiors.

"I believe you know." Marluxia almost purred, smiling as he kept his devious blue eyes on Saix. "For calling himself the 'Superior', Xemnas is not a very capable leader. I'm sure there have been times when even you have thought the same."

"You are talking to the wrong person about this, XI." Saix's voice rumbled as well, but his was more of a growl. "Loyalty isn't something I throw around lightly."

"Loyalty." His companion repeated, rolling it off his tongue as if tasting the essence of the word. "Loyalty as in how you 'fetch' when commanded?" With a light laugh Marluxia shook his head. "Or loyalty as in how you have never let yourself realise the fact that this 'Organization' is living for a pipe dream?"

Saix stopped walking. He could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his upper lip tug upwards. "I am not a blind follower." He stepped up the intensity of his growl and sneered at the other Nobody. "I have faith in Xemnas, and I am well aware of the value of respect." His expression darkened. "Perhaps you should give it some consideration."

Marluxia seemed quite pleased by the reaction, and gave a smirk that was nothing less than sinister. "No, I believe I am quite aware of the worth of respect. I simply hold it for very few people." At this point he moved to circle around the Luna Diviner; his movements had a ghostly feline grace. "You, for one, deserve respect as a warrior and an intellect." The Assassin was dangerously close as he nearly loomed over Saix from behind. His face hovered just over the Diviner's shoulder. The scarred Nobody stood completely still and offered no further reaction. Despite Marluxia's words, it was obvious that an attempt at intimidation was being played. The feeling of the other's stare on him was enough to make his skin crawl.

"And yet," he continued. His voice was hushed and silken, thinly veiling a dark maliciousness. "You are the loyal hound at his heels. You accept inferiority before lesser beings, simply because they entered the picture before you."

The scent of roses in the air was almost enough to choke Saix's sensitive nostrils. His instincts tugged at him, telling VII to whirl around and put this to an end. However, he simply stared ahead at the endlessly white corridor and smiled to himself. As he was trained to be, he was eerily calm. "I assume that's not how you would run things?"

"Of course not." Marluxia replied, his voice lightening significantly. "Ranking should be assigned by strength. By cunning." He stepped up at Saix's left side, hollow passion flaring in those haunting cobalt eyes. "Number VII is a rank more fitting for a high-strung scientist, I believe." He gave a shrewd grin. "Wouldn't II or III suit you a little more nicely, Saix?"

The Luna Diviner gave a glare that would have killed a weaker man and continued walking. He was not just being toyed with; he was being tested. It was something he wanted no part of.

"If Xemnas was half the leader he claimed to be, he would realise that." XI called after him, following easily. Luckily, they would soon reach Saix's destination. Hopefully then this would all be over.

"You know nothing about what it takes to be a leader." The blue-haired neophyte quipped, allowing himself to smirk a little. "If you led this Organization, there would just be another bitter soul ready to take your place."

"Oh? Are you insinuating mutiny?" His companion chuckled somewhat darkly.

"Just as strongly as you are."

Before the exchange could go on any further, they reached the room where Namine was being kept. Both Demyx and Zexion were there, sitting at a table with her to the far left. Assorted papers with sketches and doodles covered the table and littered the floor around them. Apparently she had found comfort in drawing. They all looked up as VII and XI entered, and the girl shrunk back a little upon seeing Saix. Zexion patted her shoulder, still keeping up the 'nice guy' act quite well.

"Vexen would like to finish the tests." Saix spoke to the other Nobodies rather than the girl. Namine protested quietly, but Demyx took her hand and reassured her as they walked out of the room. As they passed, the blonde female eyed both of the newcomers warily and held on to her escort's arm for security.

Once they were gone, Zexion began picking up the drawings off the floor, a rather puzzled look on his face. As if shuffling through reports, he looked at every one of them with astounded curiosity. After a moment of watching from the door, Saix stepped over and took a glance at them himself.

"What is it?"

"These drawings." Zexion muttered as he began to sort them. A rather large pile was made of pictures centered around a boy with strange spiky brown hair. Almost every paper had him somewhere on it. "It's no way a coincidence." The Schemer continued shuffling until her found one that he was looking for. He placed down a drawing of the same young man holding something resembling a massive key.

"What's that?" Marluxia asked, peering over their shoulders. It was crudely drawn, but Zexion seemed to recognise it perfectly.

"A keyblade. The ultimate weapon to defeat the Heartless, and the key to opening the gateways between worlds."

"That sounds rather futile to me." the Graceful Assassin snorted. "A keyblade?"

Zexion seemed happy to ignore him. "She must have a connection with the keybearer." He looked to Saix. "Where is the Superior?"

"He retired to his chambers, I believe." The Diviner was slightly surprised to see such an expression of urgency on Zexion's face. On top of that, he had no idea what he was talking about. The papers were collected, straightened, and handed off to him hurriedly.

"Could you take these to him? He will want to know about this first. I have to go tell Vexen." With that, the shorter Nobody was gone; having slipped through a dark corridor and left the two neophytes to wonder what the hell had just happened. With a sigh, Saix tucked the small stack of drawings under his arm and walked out of the room. Again, Marluxia was quick to follow suit.

"Do you enjoy playing fetch?" There was a laugh so quiet and so wicked that it even disturbed a being without the capacity for fear.

"Do you enjoy harassing me, or are all the others too busy for you today?" Was all Saix could say in return as he walked.

"I simply think it's a pity that someone so impressive has been turned into nothing but the Superior's lap dog."

That was more than the berserker could handle. Turning on his heel, he struck out at Marluxia with his free hand. Despite the frightening speed of his movements, the other Nobody was just a tad faster. A slender yet strong hand gripped his wrist, stopping him entirely. Before Saix could pull away, a dark rose vine circled and tightened around his forearm. The durable leather of his sleeve was torn through like wet paper was the thorns hungrily sought flesh. The papers were dropped and another swing was made, this one hitting its target. Three slashes ripped into the skin of Marluxia's chest as Saix's sharp nails dug through just as effectively as the thorns.

They broke away, suffering injuries that were enough to require a moment to regroup. The vine still tightened around Saix's arm, and blood was oozing from the wound. It dripped onto the ground and several of the scattered papers. For a moment they growled at each other, a seething hatred bubbling between them that could easily result in a bloodier end.

At the feeling of a vine snaking its way around his ankle, Saix grinned savagely. "I should warn you not to strike out at your Superior," He winced a little as pain shot up his leg. "Number XI."

Within a second his limbs were being tangled in deadly vines, but a quick summoning and slash of his claymore remedied that temporarily. Marluxia simply watched the struggle take place with a snide smirk. They were equals in terms of strength, but the Assassin knew how to fight dirty. Once free, Saix 

swung his weapon at his opponent, who only blocked it with a lethal scythe that materialized in his hands instantly. The blades clashed, the sound echoing down the hallway. The singing of vibrating metal faded slowly from their ears.

"You'd better use a nicer tone when you're in my castle, VII." Marluxia said in an almost sing-song voice. Saix snarled and pushed him back with a burst of strength. The vines were slowly catching up and attempting to capture him again. Marluxia landed on his feet a safe distance away and watched the other Nobody hack his way out of the tangled mess. For some reason the thorns did not dig in as mercilessly as before; possibly to avoid leaving too many wounds to be used as evidence against him. "As Lord of Castle Oblivion, I'll make sure everyone knows their place." With a flick of his finger, the vines tightened around Saix's legs like starving constrictors. "Their _proper_ place."

Panting in both pain and an attempt to keep his mind clear, Saix could feel his strength wavering. His legs felt as if they might snap at any moment from the pressure. To lose himself to a berserk state would not end well for anyone, as much as he would love to tear Marluxia to pieces. Again he freed himself with a graceful slash of his weapon, but there was no telling how long he would be able to keep this up.

"The new castle?" The Diviner choked a laugh and leaped at the other with another swing, but in his weakness he was slow. The attack was avoided with a quick dodge. "What makes you think Xemnas would give you authority over something so important?"

"Well, I must give the Superior credit. He sometimes knows great power when he sees it." Marluxia replied with a laugh and pure smugness on his face. His expression foreshadowed much suffering for those against him. "Because he already gave me the title. This morning, in fact."

In his shock, Saix was lucky that Marluxia was finished toying with him. The vines shrivelled away before they could reach him again, and a dark portal bloomed behind the pink-haired neophyte. With a grin and wave of the fingers, he stepped back into it and vanished, leaving behind only a flurry of rose petals.

Watching each one fall to the ground, Saix struggled to collect himself. He dismissed his claymore, but immediately after realised that he had been using it to support himself. He staggered a bit on throbbing legs, and gripped his bleeding arm. His loud curse bounced off the walls and came back in a deep echo.

Marluxia had been named Lord of the Organization's new castle? For the first time in months, Saix questioned Xemnas' judgement. This was fated to end badly, no matter what circumstances would arise. Up until several minutes ago the Diviner have believed that XI was simply well adjusted to his lack of emotion. Now, however, he knew all too well the cruelty and sadism that lingered below the surface.

Forgetting both the pictures on the ground and the convenience of a dark corridor, Saix took off running towards the Superior's chambers.


	11. Trust

Woo! Chapter 11!

Sorry for randomly dissapearing. I went to Ireland for ten days, and just got back on the weekend. It was an awesome trip, and a nice break from work.

I'm trying my best to keep up with reviews. If I've missed you, I'm really sorry. I wish there was some way to see which ones you've replied to already. If there is, I'm freaking blind. XD

On a more random note: Characterizing Xemnas is really difficult. He's a little unpredictable, so I hope I'm doing a decent job.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.

p.s. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow crazy Canadians!

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On the trek to Xemnas' room, Saix had not taken the initiative to think about what he was going to say. There was not even the slightest preparation, as his thoughts were too jumbled and his rage was too hot to allow anything to make sense. He was surprised that he actually found his way to the proper room without even giving it thought. It was likely sheer luck that his legs had brought him to the large door that donned a silver 'I' on it.

The berserker was also barely aware of the fact that his limbs, bruised and having been nearly crushed under the strength of the binds that had briefly held him, were extremely sore. Although only one arm and one ankle actually bled, his entire body would need long rest once he calmed down. Thanks to his powers and heightened amounts of adrenaline, pain was obsolete at the moment.

Despite the lingering shreds of Saix's common sense, he burst through the door without even a knock. A loud slam announced his uninvited entrance; one that the entire castle must have heard.

"Xemnas!" Saix barked into the dark room, unbridled anger continuing to cloud his better judgement. It had not sunk in yet that he was likely asking to be killed on the spot. Standing in the doorway, panting and growling under his breath, the Diviner glared into the room. There was no light except for the illumination given by Kingdom Hearts as the moonlight spilled through the massive windows and across the slick tile floor.

At first it seemed as if there was no-one in the chambers, until the tall glass doors leading out onto the balcony inched open. Stepping inside with a haunting sense of calm, the Superior stared at the dishevelled and half-berserk Nobody that had stormed into his room so rudely. It was only when those orange eyes pierced through him that Saix realised his mistake. Still, his animosity made it impossible to turn back now.

"_Marluxia_?" He demanded, lips curling. He gestured wildly with his uninjured arm as he shouted. "Of all the empty souls in this castle, you trust HIM the most? You would give him so much power, knowing he would abuse it at the first chance? Or are you really as blind as he thinks you are?"

The entire world of nonexistence could have heard him now. Saix was a caged beast that had been prodded too many times. It had been only a matter of time before he snapped. He roared at Xemnas, painfully aware that the edges of his vision were blurring and his hold on sanity was slipping.

Despite witnessing behaviour that was nothing less than shameful and out of line, Xemnas simply watched silently. If Saix was not so busy struggling to keep himself together, he might have seen the lightest tint of surprise on the Superior's face. The one who had always been silent and obedient was now attacking him with words that would have hurt deeply if such a thing was possible.

"I can't name a single Nobody who deserves such authority less than him. He is a traitor, Xemnas." Saix snarled, clutching his bleeding arm. "He's playing you. Like you're goddamn fool." It soon became very hard to construct full sentences.

_No. Hold it together._

"I suggest you compose yourself." The Superior said, his authoritative tone dulled slightly. Still, it was enough to give Saix a miniscule dose of reality and fear before feral drives took over completely.

When his senses returned, it was like waking from unconsciousness. That was quite possible, as the first thing he realised was that every inch of his body ached. It was a sharp throbbing through his head, torso, and every limb. As he drifted back from the deep, silent sea of personal oblivion, he came to realise two more things; he was sitting with his back against a cold wall, and someone else was nearby.

Tightening the muscles of his face in a wince, the Diviner soon opened his eyes. At first his vision was blurred and distorted but it soon smoothed out. A bright orange light assaulted his sensitive pupils for a moment; a flame was burning cheerfully in a nearby fireplace. Despite that, the entire room felt cold to him.

Dragging his eyesight upwards, Saix caught sight of Xemnas stepping towards him. At once he recollected all that had happened in the minutes before losing consciousness, and the blue-haired Nobody tensed up. His muscles burned, begging to be relaxed again. How was he still alive? What had happened? Fear for his nonexistence swelled up in the neophyte's throat as he stared up at Xemnas, who was now stooping over him. Like so many times before, the Superior eyed him with an evaluating look, noting his expression and posture.

In the light Saix could see something different about the other Nobody's face. Two parallel cuts stretched across the right side of his lower jaw, both of them bleeding quite freely. It did not take long for him to realise how that had happened. In his berserk state, he had struck Xemnas with his claws. His eyes widened. If he had possessed a heart it would be racing.

Again, Xemnas had a distinct calmness as he watched the Diviner. There was no doubt that a struggle had taken place, and who now stood victorious. Saix kept his expression as blank as possible while bracing for whatever may come. If he had not been killed yet, he feared it may mean that Xemnas wanted him to really suffer.

All that came was a thin smile and four words spoken in that familiar, velvet voice.

"On your feet, Saix." Shockingly, there was no malice or anger lurking behind those words. Despite that, they were obeyed immediately and Saix stood up. It was slow and very pained, but the Diviner stood before Xemnas and looked him in the eye. He almost wished he could feel shame or guilt; the lack of such emotions was just as unsettling as the situation itself. There was a silence between the two, and the Superior was impossible to read. There was no guessing what the next few seconds would hold.

Realising the painful throb in his arm, Saix dared to glance away from Xemnas and down at his injured appendage. It was then he noticed that under his sleeve, the arm was wrapped in black cloth, tight enough to halt the bleeding. A cold weight sat in his stomach.

"You nearly bled to death." Xemnas said before turning and walking towards the fire. All Saix could do was watch him curiously. The silver-haired man's silhouette stood before the light, casting a long shadow that cloaked Saix completely. Another silence drifted through the room; one that VII was anxious to break.

"You didn't kill me." It was not a question, but a statement. He stared at the Superior's turned back, letting his arms rest at his sides. He had more than overstepped his boundaries, and yet he was alive. It made no sense. Considering the consequences that occurred last time he so much as rose his voice at Xemnas, it simply made no sense.

"No." Xemnas replied simply, still apparently staring into the flames. He brought up a gloved hand to wipe away the blood tricking down his neck. He was so deadpan, but the tension was enough to kill someone.

"Not yet, at least?" Saix pressed lightly. He had been toyed with enough for one day, and would rather die with a little dignity if that was how this evening was going to end for him. The other Nobody glanced back before taking a few more steps and sitting down in a large red armchair near the fireplace. Without a word, he motioned for Saix to sit in an identical one opposite to him. There was a slight hesitation, but VII did so. After only a minute of standing, his legs were relieved to have weight taken off of them. The chair was quite comfortable.

"I have no intention of ending your nonexistence, Saix." Xemnas began, setting his hands on the arms of the chair and leaning back. It was very bizarre to see him acting so, for a lack of a better term, normal in such a situation. "For I know that everything you do, trivial or outrageous, has a reason behind it." As he spoke, his fierce orange eyes never left Saix. "When you came charging at me, blind in your own rage, I nearly destroyed you. But I knew there had to be something wrong in order for you to do something so foolish."

Sitting straight in the chair, Saix let his usually blank expression fall a little. It was not as if he could feel regret or any sort, but there was still the faint memory of what it was like. "I did not enter the room intending to cause any harm." He said quietly, looking to the still-bleeding injury he had left on the Superior's face. "But I did. If I had the capacity to say it with sincerity, I would apologise."

Xemnas smiled the slightest bit. "You did, however, come in making quite the scene about Number XI."

Saix looked away, unable to hide the fact that the very mention of Marluxia made him grit his teeth. He locked his eyes on the flickering flames. They licked at the air and polished bricks in a mesmerizing dance. "The Assassin speaks of a better Organization." He spoke sourly, feeling the hairs on his neck raise again. "And he was happy to antagonize and wound a superior."

"What else about him makes you think he is undeserving of authority?" Xemnas encouraged Saix to continue, a thoughtful expression crossing his usually unreadable face. It was a question of curiosity and intrigue.

Saix pressed back into the chair a little, the entire situation making him a little uncomfortable. It was just so strange to be asked about his opinion. "There is a fine line between heartlessness and sadism." He said, eyes returning to the Superior. "Many members of this Organization enjoy healthy doses of both. They have a balance, and at least recognize that there was a time when they too could feel. At some point we've all loved, and we've all cried. Number XI seems eager to forget all that, and he is far beyond the balance. He takes joy out of our most unpleasant tasks, and thrives on power only because it gives him a wider spectrum of things he can get away with." The Diviner was lucky that his anger stayed at bay while he spoke, because to lose his temper again would be very, very bad.

Xemnas listened without interruption, seeming to take in and consider every word with undivided attention. However, at the mention of long lost emotion, he gained a fleeting expression that was unreadable. It faded as quickly as it became visible.

"Saix," the Superior began after a momentary silence. "Number XI is not a Nobody that I trust, for the reasons that you have spoken of. Apart from his fighting abilities and strategic thinking, there are very few reasons for him to have my respect." A pause was given for those words to sink in. "He has proven his worth, however, and he was given power over Castle Oblivion because I know he will keep the others on task. I have no doubts that the place will be well protected in his hands."

"But Xemnas," Saix cut in when there was an opening. There was a sense of exasperation in his voice. "The others will be at risk under his command. His words to me were nothing less than an invitation to join in with his mutiny."

The Superior only smiled. "The members I am sending to the new base are ones that I have utmost faith in. They are capable of taking care of themselves." He seemed to watch VII for a moment, this time in no critical or appraising manner. Instead, it was a look that was rather cryptic. "You seem rather concerned for others. Or is it something else that bothers you so greatly about the situation?"

They both knew that being worried about other members of the Organization was not in a Nobody's nature. Saix shifted in his seat a little. "Our goals will be much harder to reach if Marluxia plans to make things difficult. I know his ambitions will never be fulfilled, but that does not stop him from taking other members down with him."

"There is something else." Xemnas pressed, his voice carrying a heavy insinuation that he knew exactly what Saix was not telling him.

"There is nothing else." Saix insisted quietly, not taking his eyes away from the other Nobody.

"Because jealousy is something that we cannot truly feel?"

The arms of the chair were gripped tightly. "Exactly."

A look of amusement crossed the dark-skinned Nobody's face, and at the same time he brought up a hand to wipe blood from his jawline. "I assumed you would know by now that you, unlike XI, are trustworthy in my eyes. You have changed a lot from the beast that was such a struggle to tame, and I watched you hone yourself into both a powerful warrior and a critical thinker." Xemnas thought for a moment, while Saix absorbed the words in stunned silence. They were disturbingly similar to Marluxia's in some manner. "You have proven, even through lashing out at me, that your loyalty is unshakable. You hold our goals and the Organization's well-being as highest priorities." Again, he smiled. "So much that you feel compelled to let me know when you think I'm not making a good decision."

Again, Saix was a little uncomfortable. He was not proud of his violent actions again Xemnas. He was lucky to be alive. "As I told XI, I am not a blind follower. Perhaps my Somebody was well aware of what made a leader a capable one. Despite my careless actions tonight, you seem to know quite well where my loyalties lay, Xemnas." The seriousness of his tone was like stone, and it was made very clear that this was something that not even Xemnas could argue. Much to his relief, the Superior seemed pleased.

"Indeed I do know." He leaned forward in his chair a little, his intense orange eyes boring into Saix in a way that was somehow unthreatening. "And you should be aware that there is not a single person, Nobody or Somebody, that has earned my respect like you have. The fact that you stood up to me proves how much spine you possess."

Saix was a little surprised by this, and it showed in his expression. "But Marluxia-"

"-is Lord of Castle Oblivion because a bit of authority will be enough to satisfy his thirst for now and keep him out of my way. He can do little to sway the others, but because of the news you bring, I will have Number VIII there to keep an eye on him. I need you here more than they need you over there."

Saix allowed himself to smile a little bit, convinced that he was feeling some sense of pride. In reality, his problem had never been about not being given the power Marluxia had. It was the mere notion that such a wicked being like the Assassin was trusted more than he was. Saix had worked his very hardest from the minute he realised that only through Kingdom Hearts could he be whole again. After months of putting up with small taunts, frustrating missions and struggling with his own savage nature, his efforts were finally showing some results.

"And if Number XI feels bold enough to attack a Superior again?" The Diviner asked, taking on a serious tone again.

"You have my permission to destroy him."

Then, there was a sharp knock on the door, which was still wide open from the uninvited entrance. Xemnas looked past Saix towards the sound and stood up. "Come in, Zexion." He said with a gesture of his hand. Number VI stepped into the room, looking rather unimpressed. The moment he stood up and saw him, Saix suddenly remembered the task given to him before the unpleasant encounter that started this whole mess. In Zexion's hand was a messy pile of papers.

"I gave you _one_ thing to do, VII." The smaller Nobody seethed the moment he spotted the berserker. "_One simple_-"

"There was an unfortunate incident, and Saix had more important matters to deal with." Xemnas cut in, walking over to the Schemer and taking the papers. Perhaps it was the smell of blood that must have assaulted his nose, or the visible injury on the Superior's face, but Zexion froze completely for a moment. Only his eyes moved, travelling to a rather weakened Saix, then back over to the Nobody in front of him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked hesitantly. Xemnas nodded.

"It has been taken care of. Thank you, Zexion." As he put the papers into a less messy pile to hang on to, Xemnas looks to Saix. "You are in dire need of rest. Get a decent night's sleep, then come find me in the morning for some mission briefing."

Knowing full well that it would be foolish to protest, Saix nodded and formed a dark corridor. He was grateful to not have to deal with Zexion right now, and his body was indeed extremely exhausted. He did not look back to the other Nobodies as he left the room, nor did he waste any time thinking before he went to sleep. There was nothing to truly dwell on, as Xemnas had done a wonderful job in reassuring the troubled Diviner. He should have never questioned the Superior's judgements, knowing full-well that doing so was only catering to Marluxia's goals.


	12. The Lion's Share

This chapter took a bit longer than expected, but I'm not still completely happy with it. it could have gone a little smoother, but I got pretty sick of rewriting. XD The idea has been kicking around in my head for a couple of weeks, and I couldn't help but use it. It almost ended up being a seperate fanfiction altogether, actually.

I know some people may be thinking that the timeline I'm working with is a bit messed up (given the worlds, who appears when, etc.), but frankly I've lost my care for paying attention to that. It's just too much trouble, and I think I've done a decent enough job of sticking to canon to give myself some leway.

Thanks again for the reviews on the last chapter and the avalanche of emails I'm getting about Favourite Storie and Story Alerts adds. I'm seriously thrilled that people like my stories so much!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. And don't mind my horrible depictions of Disney characters. XD Also, lion-versions of some of the Organization members are just quick ideas in my own head.

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The sun beat down on the open plains with unyielding, cruel heat. Various insects voiced their displeasure of the high temperature through loud, droning buzzes. The few trees in sight were only thin ones that offered no refuge from the harsh sunlight. It was the height of the dry season in the Pridelands, and not one living thing could fool themselves into thinking otherwise.

For Saix, the intense heat was but a close second to the irritating complaints that rose up from time to time; he was sure to go absolutely mad any second if Xigbar opened his mouth one more time. The two of them, with a smartly quiet Luxord in tow, were literally prowling through the tall yellow grass under the merciless eye of the sun. As important as this mission was, it definitely had its drawbacks. Number II's outspoken dislike for it was one of them.

"We're almost there." The Diviner growled over his shoulder before another word could be uttered. "Have an ounce of patience."

One thing that left his two companions in slightly sour moods was the fact that they were all very much out of their element. Upon entering the Pridelands through a dark portal, their bodies underwent an unexpected change. Where men had stepped through, three large felines stood. II and X, much to Saix's amusement, had spent the better part of an hour tripping over their own paws while getting used to walking on all fours. He, however, had absolutely no problem with it. For some reason it came as no shock to him.

As this was a world uninhabited by humans, it seemed to make sense that they would have to take the shapes of animals. At least they had a chance of blending in with the natives, if even a little.

Although they were three male lions, each one still looked like the hailed from another world. The pale blue hue of Saix's hair had carried over into this world, as his full mane was just that colour, while the rest of his fur was a very light tan – nearly white. The large scars on his face were just as visible as well. He was an intimidating creature, standing as the largest of the three although not by much.

"I'm just saying; we've got plenty of time. It wouldn't kill us to find a bit of shade right now." Came the delayed response. Xigbar's long shaggy mane, black with telltale grey showing through, and brown fur may have been why he suffered the worst from the heat. His usually covered right eye was simply closed with a patch of black fur surrounding it. He was scrawnier, but no less fearsome looking. His whole body was decorated with scars, as the one stretching across his face was apparently but one of many.

"Yes, that shrub over there provides a great amount of shelter from the sun. Or maybe the dying, leafless tree would be a better option." Luxord cut in with heavy sarcasm, seemingly just as sick of the complaints as Saix. Out of the little group, he stood the best chance of blending in. His mane was slightly thinner, but a natural golden colour and just half a shade darker than the rest of his body. His usual upright and proud posture was less prominent at the moment; his head was lowered as a subtle sign of fatigue. The heat and long trek over the savannah had drained a lot of their energy.

Xigbar, by some sort of miracle, kept his mouth shut and offered no response. They trudged onward, heading towards a large rock formation where they had been told was the home of what they were looking for. They were not searching for lions in general, but Vexen had a specific request for a Heartless formed from a powerful animal. Why he wanted such a thing; none of them really knew. Whatever the Organization's scientist wanted, he usually received.

Finally, much to their relief, they reached the massive rocks and managed to find refuge in some shade. They spied from the tall grass, well covered and out of sight. It was not long before movement flickered into their vision, as a dark-furred lion stalked along a low stone ground in a skulking manner. Even from a distance they could tell that he was in a very foul mood; his head hung low and his long tail flickered behind him. His black mane framed a pointed face that wore a sour expression. From his position crouched in the grass, Saix shifted his paws in pleased anticipation.

"He looks perfect. I'm surprised the Heartless have not swarmed him yet." Luxord uttered quietly, practically voicing the Diviner's thoughts. Yes, this feline certainly looked like a dark fellow. They remained still and watched as the lion paced anxiously.

Before long another came into view, and this one was drastically different from the first. His build was powerful through and through, and he carried himself with an air of confidence and utter majesty. He was a lot lighter in colour than the other, and his mane was full. His head was high, and the darker one kept his low.

Words were exchanged between the two, ones that the Nobodies could not hear. Occasionally one would curl his lips and growl at the other, and their postures were what Saix recognised as nearly hostile, yet it still seemed to be a civil conversation. After a short while the larger one left with a few 

words of parting that forced the smaller to take an impressive hold on his temper. He flashed his teeth and turned on heel as well, prowling away from the meeting place and around a corner.

Once both of them were out of view Saix started forward again while motioning for the others to follow. They moved silently, trailing the darker lion that had everything but stormed away. He had not gone far, but only lay himself down in a slightly more secluded area to likely sulk. On top of a flat boulder the lion lay, his profound yellow eyes staring hard at the horizon. A thin scar over one eye was now visible with a closer look. Still, the tip of his tail danced with agitation.

In the distance, the soft skittering of Heartless could be heard. They were lurking, possibly watching this lion just like the three Nobodies. Yet something kept them at bay, when it would be so easy to consume such a troubled heart. It was not until a moment later that it became apparent that their target was not alone. Several ragged canines shuffled into view from a ditch against the larger rocks and clustered around the lion. The watchers could hear them talking to him with childlike excitement.

"So what do we do know?" One of them asked, sitting down in front of the boulder. All three of the hyenas looked nearly starving; their grey and black fur was thin and dirty and their frames looked disproportioned. The feline, apparently well aware of the crudeness of his companions, sneered at them.

"Keep your voices down. The last thing I need is Mufasa hearing your incessant chatter." He crossed his paws and looked back in the direction he came. The eavesdroppers had to be careful to stay out of view. Despite being a clear inferior to the other lion, it was obvious now that he still had a dignity about him that was nothing less than sheer pretentiousness. They way he looked down his nose at the hyenas was a sure sign of that. "He came by asking questions about the Graveyard incident, so we must tread lightly." His voice was kept low, but still audible.

"Shouldn't we wait a while, then? If he don't trust you-"

"I won't matter who trusts me when he is dead; I will be king, then." He interrupted the female to his right with impatience. "If we wait, Simba will grow stronger every day. I don't want to deal with two adult lions."

The conversation continued, with Saix and his companions soaking in every word. It seemed they had a usurper in the Pridelands. That was a pretty familiar scenario to Saix, but in this world it could, with some luck, come to the Organization's aid. In the clever Nobody's mind, pieces were coming together to form a bold yet wonderful idea. He could not help but smile to himself.

"Wait here." He told the others before stepping forward. Xigbar promptly pressed a large paw down on the tip of the Diviner's tail and quietly demanded to know what he was thinking. It only took a silent glare to both assure that Saix knew what he was doing, and to get the other to release him. "Just stay quiet and wait."

"Who the hell made you boss of this mission?" the Freeshooter sneered, obviously not pleased with being told what to do.

"Xemnas did." Saix replied stiffly before looking ahead again and prowling further. He remained hidden until the distance between him and the creatures had been narrowed a little. About fifteen feet away from them, he emerged from the grass and stepped into plain view. His head was held high.

It took less than a second for his presence to be known, and the dark lion reacted as expected. He jumped down to the ground and approached with his ears pinned to his skull and raised lips. The hyenas circled around the newcomer trapping him where he stood. Saix seemed unmoving and unafraid, even though a small part of him was aware that this could go sour quickly.

"Rogues are not welcome here." Although slightly smaller than him, the lion was able to look quite intimidating. Despite that, he was very calm and almost smug with the assumption that this stranger was outnumbered. His voice carried a growl. Even though Saix could hear the eager muttering and giggles of the canines behind him, he only smirked lightly.

"Is that what I look like? A rogue?" He asked with an amused tone. He knew that Xigbar and Luxord would be anxious and ready to jump in at a moment's notice, so he was not overly concerned. The real risk lay in the fact that the larger lion could come around that corner if he had enough reason to. "There is no need for hostility, friend. I bring no threat."

"That does not matter to me. Wandering males like you have no place in the Pridelands." The response was cold and embittered. A hyena snapped his jaws dangerously close to Saix's heel.

"I would advise that you listen to what I have to say. We may be able to help each other." Showing excellent composure, Saix did not move a muscle except for those needed to speak and keep his eyes on the other lion. "The throne seems to be the middle of enough conflict already; these lands are not what I seek." He gave a knowing smile, one that caused a moment's pause from both the dark feline and his canine associates.

With a hard scowl, the other turned away and made a motion with his paw. At the cue, the hyenas quickly moved to close in on Saix. Before they could even sink fang or claw into him, a pair of savage growls halted them where they stood. Luxord and Xigbar exploded from the grass and approached on either side of their fellow Nobody, chasing the yipping hyenas back towards their leader. Although he did not show it, the Diviner was endlessly grateful for the intervention.

The lion turned again to face them, seemingly struggling to hold his anger back. As he faced three strange lions, each fit and strong as a king, there was no arguing who had the upper hand.

"How many more?" he demanded, snarling at them in attempts to salvage his dignity.

"Only us three." Saix took one step forward, and the hyenas took two backwards. "If you feel like listening now, we have a proposal you might like to hear." Although irritation was clear on his face, a smirk remained. "Neither of us can afford to waste any time."

Trapped and perhaps a little intrigued, the lion sighed quietly and straightened up. "Aside from myself, none of us are safe here. Let us go somewhere more suitable for conversation." With a sneer towards his cowering lackeys, he walked past the three newcomers and into the long grass. As they followed, Saix felt a paw cuff the side of his head.

"Man, if you ever pull something stupid like that again, I'm letting those mutts chew on you." Xigbar growled, glaring through his one eye. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

In any other circumstance, the Luna Diviner might have been angry with someone treating him in such a way. However, he gave a smug smile. "Vexen wants a Heartless from a powerful animal, and he will receive one. To achieve this, we are getting a little bit of aid from the locals."

The place they arrived at was significantly less impressive than where they had been, and it was obvious where the borders of the Pridelands ended. The caves and the open area around them were bare and dry; the only forms of plant life were the thin clusters of dying moss that desperately clung to walls. As they were led into a large cavern, it became quite clear that hyenas made their home here. The smell was not very pleasant, and the abominable creatures lurked just out of sight behind endless shadows. The presence of a few Heartless was notable as well.

"It's no wonder why this bloke wants to be king," Luxord muttered to Xigbar, his blue eyes scanning the distant, dreary cave walls. "if this is what he controls."

"Yeah, but at least it's out of the damned sun." The Freeshooter pointed out, grinning. This was true. The cavern was still muggy, but at least the harsh rays of sunlight were off their backs. Only thin threads of light, leaking in through holes in the walls, lit the way. It was a rather unsettling place, especially for the three of them. They were not exactly at an advantage here, despite knowing that they could escape through a dark corridor if needed.

The lion in question, who they had been told was aptly named Scar, stopped as they reached the large open area of the cave. Light poured in through a large gap in the stone ceiling, making it look more like a steep canyon than anything. Dozens of hyenas watched from a distance as the lions sat in a loose circle, but none were brave enough to approach.

"That other lion you were speaking with before," Saix began, apparently eager to get straight to business. "That is Mufasa, correct? The king?"

"Indeed, that would be the king of Pride Rock." Scar said with a tint of bitterness. "My dear brother."

"And who is Simba?" Luxord questioned, recollecting the mentioned name.

"He is the king's son. Simba is still a cub, but if Mufasa were to die he would take his place. Hence why I need him out of the picture as well."

"I'm assuming that you were the sole heir to the throne before the boy was born." Saix smirked.

Scar's eyes narrowed spitefully for a moment before he looked to the blue-maned lion. "And if you have no intentions to rule these lands, why would you be interested in my business?" There was no doubt that he still did not trust them completely. That was probably why he had brought them into his domain, where his loyal servants awaited his command. The three Nobodies looked at each other in a collective moment of thought. It was rather hard to explain.

"You ever heard of Heartless?" Xigbar asked, gesturing the general size of most Heartless with one paw. "Little black shadowy... things."

"Very eloquent." Luxord commented while rolling his eyes.

"Ah, those strange creatures that have been meandering about the savannah recently?" Scar seemed to understand. "They showed up last season, but have caused us no trouble."

"Well, you could say that we are trying to learn more about them." The Luna Diviner spoke up again. "More specifically, how they affect certain creatures. We know that Heartless can take over a complete being and, simply put, take their heart away." His expression turned almost malicious. "They feed off of darkness; if they can find the darkness in one's heart and overpower them, they are essentially doomed. They will turn into a Heartless themselves."

Scar looked very pleased with this information, yet still suspicious. "So am I to believe that you would like to turn Mufasa into a Heartless? What do you have to gain from that?"

"We've got a friend who wants to do some extended research. He would greatly appreciate a Heartless coming from a specimen like Mufasa." Saix leaned forward a little. "And I'm sure you would appreciate the elimination of the greatest obstacle between you and your future rule."

Scar thought for a moment. "Will there be nothing left of him afterwards? I need a corpse for the pride to see."

"I think we can call in a favour from someone else we know." Xigbar contributed, casting the others a look. The future king scanned his eyes over the three of them, seeming to come to a conclusion in this own mind.

"You three are peculiar; not from this world, even." He commented, although the distrust had almost completely lifted. "But if we can arrange an 'accidental' death of Mufasa, in which the Heartless can overpower him, all of us may end up very happy with the results." He then glanced to Saix again. "And the child?"

The Diviner snorted. "If you and your hyenas cannot rid yourselves of a mere cub, then I would seriously doubt your ruling capabilities. However, I think we can hit two birds with one stone."

Annoyance only briefly crossed Scar's face before he smiled again. "Fair enough. Now, how do you suppose we pull forth the darkness in the King's heart? Other than being awfully protective of his family and his lands, he has not a mean bone in his body."

"If we put his son in harm's way and evoke enough fear or anger in Mufasa, the Heartless will swarm him." Saix carried such resolve that not a soul in the cave could say otherwise. "Even the most sincere and loving hearts can be overwhelmed by darkness."

Another moment of thought was taken as Scar looked up towards the hole in the cavern ceiling. He was definitely a strategic thinker and not an outward fighter. There was no sign of remorse, as if there was no heart to be taken if they had continued pursuing him as their target. There was something in him that directly reminded Saix of someone he knew all too well, and it felt almost criminal that they were pledging to help him usurp the kingdom. The more he considered that similarity, the more intensely the phantom pain wrapping around his front leg stung.


	13. Long Live The King

Finally, I have the new chapter put up! Sorry this took so long, guys. Between getting ready for school in a few weeks, working and finishing my online math course I've been extremely busy. This chapter was something I worked on for about half an hour on every other day, so editing and trying to make it flow was a bit of a hard process. Even then I don't feel completely satisfied with it. I must have watched the first half of the Lion King something like ten times just trying to get the scene somewhat accurate.

In a few weeks, things should calm down (ironically, I'm seeing school as a break from the summer). Sorry again for the wait, and thanks for all of your awesome reviews! I love you all!

**Slightly Unreleated Note: **Many, many people are asking me about the status of Rainy Day, my old FFVII fanfic. If you're one of these folks curious about it, please read the little blurb about it in my profile. Thank you!

Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to Square Enix/Disney.

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"That's how you lost yours, isn't it?"

Saix cast Luxord a questioning look as he lay down on the rocky ground just outside the mouth of the cave. They were settled in the shade, just out of the sun's reach and watching the open plain ahead. The thin, dead grass grew larger the further one looked, before the gold and green colours of the Pridelands greeted their sight at the horizon. There was no question as to why Scar wanted to rule those lands so badly. This area where they stayed, the home of the hyenas, was barren and dead.

"I don't understand-"

"Your heart." Luxord cut him off, turning his head to look at the other neophyte. "You seem to know that we'll get a Heartless out of this creature if we fill him with fear and anger. I have never seen anyone so sure about something before." Even if had not possessed that interesting accent, Luxord would still sound worldly and knowledgeable. In the few times that Saix had spoken with him, it had become obvious that he was quick on his feet and knew quite a bit about how the world worked.

"It's one of the few things I remember about my former life." Saix said with a rough chuckle as he looked towards the horizon again. "The last few moments were nothing but rage and fear. I think my hometown was under attack, and being the idiot I was, I fought back with everything I had." Everything else was just a blur to him; sometimes a sickly thin man would appear briefly in his dreams, or a crisp breeze would give him a false sense of nostalgia.

"If you went down fighting, I find that respectable." the Gambler said, his tone cheerless. "If I had known what I really had to lose, I might have put up more of a struggle for it."

"Oh?" Saix curiously looked back to his comrade. "Do you remember how you lost yours?"

"Yes, in spite of how much I'd like to forget." He gave a small laugh and shook his big feline head to himself. "Some shady chap in a tavern won it from me in a game of dice. I remember he wagered quite a bit of coin, and I was in dire need of some. I was careless and probably a bit drunk, so I jumped at the chance and didn't even fully consider what he asked me to wager." He smiled almost bitterly. "I mean, what's a heart worth, right?"

"You lost your heart in a bet." Saix stated in some sense of disbelief. "You're right; that is quite careless. You must have had a lot of faith in yourself."

"I had faith in Lady Luck." The corners of Luxord's lips remained twisted in a small smile. "I think I was always well acquainted with her, but that night was different. The other man won by a long shot. I put up a bit of a fight, because I knew he must have cheated. I know I took a few hits but I couldn't land one on him. All I remember after that moment was pain so intense I thought he was carving my heart out of my chest with a dagger." Luxord's face grew very solemn. "And then Xigbar dragged me out of the darkness."

"The Gambler of Fate." Saix breathed, staring at Luxord with a light sense of amazement.

"Quite appropriate, I believe." Despite how much Number X seemed to wish he could hate himself for his foolishness, he smiled again. "That's the luck of the draw, mate. You win some and you lose some."

Such a conclusion was appropriate for a gambler, but it did not settle well with Saix. He was rarely one to cut his losses and move on. Some would call it stubbornness, but he knew that he would not likely still be alive if it were not for his headstrong nature. Despite himself, he shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose." What was most interesting was the fact that Luxord's heart was not simply taken by force, but by chance. Were the Heartless more intelligent than they believed? Then again, taking someone's heart was not something only Heartless could do.

"You know what would be simply _fantastic_?" The drawling voice of Xigbar turned their attention to the Freeshooter, who was scaling the rocky hill and walking towards them. "If you two would quit sharing sentiments and helped us out."

Saix snorted, following it with a smirk. "Are the hyenas as incapable of simple tasks as I assumed?" They were horrid beasts; he saw them as an insult to the canine family. The hyenas were crude, cowardly, and extraordinarily thick at best. Xigbar had been sent to lead them in gently herding a cluster of wildebeest to the end of a massive gorge, and judging by his sour expression it had not been an easy job.

Xigbar skulked into the shade and slumped to the ground beside Luxord, looking exhausted. "The mould under my bathroom sink is smarter than those mutts."

"Lovely." Luxord quipped with a wrinkled nose. "In any event, I went back to the castle and informed Zexion that we will be needing his help. He will join us shortly."

"Oh, well then, don't you feel accomplished." In his thick sarcasm Xigbar went the extra mile and imitated X's distinct accent. Luxord, ever the calm gentleman, simply sneered and offered no other reaction. It was clear that II was simply in bad spirits. His attention hen turned to Saix. "Where's Scar?"

"He's gone to fetch the cub." Saix's eyes returned to the horizon, having yet to see the soon-to-be-king walking back across the plain with Simba in tow. He would take his trusting nephew to the gorge and leave him alone as bait. His father would not hesitate to save the poor boy from a closed-in wildebeest stampede. The plan was simple, yet genius. Still, all Saix was concerned with was the fact that Mufasa would be in the right state of mind for the Heartless to attack.

"I suppose we'd better get to the gorge now." Almost reluctant to stand up and face the sun that glared down upon the land just beyond the shade, Saix hauled himself to his feet and stretched. He could easily see why lions slept most of the day. With most of the sluggishness out of his muscles, he began walking.

"I can't wait to get back on two feet again." Xigbar mumbled, savouring laziness for another moment before dragging himself after Saix and Luxord.

The gorge was a massive canyon many miles long, and the steep rocky walls made escape nearly impossible. There were only narrow ledges on which they would stand watch. Luckily the three lions were not very visible from their perch; if the King saw them there might be some trouble. It was not long after they arrived and settled that Zexion emerged from a dark corridor. He was rather surprised at the four paws that he now possessed.

"Yup, this has been our life for the past few days. Aren't you glad you joined us now?" Xigbar grinned bitterly, bringing a paw up and ruffling the significantly smaller Nobody's dark blue mane. Zexion's true age was made quite clear in this world, as he looked more like an adolescent lion with a thinner mane and less body mass.

"You three are asking a lot from me." The schemer growled as he batted Xigbar away. "The illusion you want me to make will take a lot of energy, and I have important things to do." Apparently preparations for the new castle were not going as smoothly as he would like. Vexen's picky nature likely had something to do with it.

"We appreciate your help, Zexion." Saix cut in, not exactly eager to discuss this now. "Be sure to get a good look at this creature before he heads into the stampede." They would need an exact replica of Mufasa's would-be corpse for Scar to show the pride as proof of the King's death. In making a permanent, tangible illusion, Zexion would indeed be likely to tire himself out. It was a favour VII knew he would have to return in the near future.

They quieted then, as two creatures slipped into view at the bottom of the gorge. The familiar dark and lanky shape of Scar was visible along with a small cub bounding along beside him. The empty canyon juggled echoes of the excited boy's chatter as he talked to his uncle. He asked several times about some surprise he had been promised. Watching this youth walk to his doom, Saix wished he could pity him. Scar left Simba on a flat boulder under the shade of a tiny tree and stalked away. He glanced upwards at the group, knowing exactly where they planned to stand watch. Even from a great distance, Saix nodded knowingly to the usurper and then turned to his group.

"Xigbar, go give the hyenas the signal." The Diviner said, beginning to walk away from them as he gave out the orders. "Zexion, get higher up so you can see Mufasa clearly when he arrives." His eyes then turned to Luxord. "You make sure the cub does not leave this gorge before his father comes to the rescue."

Although II and VI looked uneasy with taking commands from a lower-ranking Nobody, nods were exchanged with no conflict and everyone went their separate ways. Saix found a better vantage point where he would wait for Scar once he fetched the father. For now it was a waiting game. He watched Simba go through several stages of childish impatience; he pouted a little, likely from a comment his uncle made, then he paced on the boulder. After that he resumed sulking in boredom before entertaining himself with harassing some small critter that had dared come close enough.

Eventually, a rumble made itself evident in the ground. Even though he had been waiting for it, Saix felt unnerved by the tremors that made the stone walls vibrate. It felt as if the entire world was being 

shaken like a snow globe in the hands of a relentless toddler. Soon enough the wildebeest came tearing over the gorge entrance, blind in terror as they fled from the snapping jaws of three hyenas and one mono-eyed lion. Like raging waters in a river, they were channelled in a straight and deadly line; hundreds of powerful beasts all running towards the helpless cub.

After a moment of stunned immobility, Simba finally found his feet and scrambled into a run. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, with no hope of a quick exit amongst the steep walls around him. The panic and terror of all creatures in the gorge was unmistakable, and Saix could sense the excited skittering of Heartless right in the middle of all the chaos. Xigbar returned once the disaster was in full swing, and soon departed again to aid the Gambler in his task of watching the prince. The Organization always ran things quite smoothly, even when worlds were in turmoil.

Scar and Mufasa came into view quickly, and Saix slinked back further out of view until the doomed king spotted his son and threw himself courageously into the stampede. By now Simba was climbing a half-dead tree in attempt to escape the deadly hooves of the herd. Everything was happening so quickly that it felt dreamlike. Scar, finished with playing the part of the concerned uncle, joined Saix in watching the tragedy unfold. Wordlessly they stalked along the cliff's edge, keeping their eyes on the trapped ones. They waited for the telltale roar of pain over the deafening thunder of hoof falls, but it was not coming.

Mufasa snaked through the stampede and managed to jump up onto a safe edge and deposit his son, much to their disappointment. "Saix-" Scar began with an air of annoyance and expectation. They could not afford to let the King get out alive. Before he could say anything else, however, the problem was taken care of. Luxord and Xigbar, using the Freeshooter's expert abilities to warp space to his liking, made a brief appearance to drag the large lion back into the fray before disappearing just as quickly.

As the young prince called after his father, the terror in his voice was almost enough to stop Saix in his tracks. Phantom guilt caused that gap in his chest to ache. Seeing a child scared was something he felt familiar with, but in a different sense. The frights he knew best in his almost nonexistent memories were accompanied by laughter. What he was witnessing in this one was genuine fear and loss. It dawned on him that in his missions, he had never seen the weight of his actions affect the lives of the young ones. That could be a reason why he so willingly avoided Namine and the fearful way she looked at him.

But no, guilt was something that he was incapable of. It was a memory and nothing else. Taking notice of the Diviner's sudden hesitance, Scar looked back at him and sneered. He muttered something about softness and returned his eyes to the stampede. Mufasa had managed to break away and scale halfway 

up a steep rock wall, well above the danger of the wildebeest. With an acidic growl Scar announced that he would take care of the problem and slinked off. Saix only watched as several things happened; Simba began running up a rocky slope in hopes to meet his father at the high ledge, Scar beat the boy there by a longshot, and Mufasa was greeted at the end of his climb with the smug scowl of his younger brother.

With the King still hanging and scrambling with his back legs to stay up, Scar singlehandedly ensured that his grip 'slipped' and that his fall back into the stampede was one that he would not be getting up from. The sheer coldness of the act made Saix wonder if there was a heart to be taken from the dark lion if they had made him their target.

What happened then was fast yet structured; like a calm blur. The excited heartless swarmed the doomed King before the herd animals could even harm him further, and the agonized roar of a heart being ripped out from a beast was unmistakable. Between that and the horrified cries of the prince who had witnessed the fall, not a single Nobody could deny the chills they felt crawling down their spines. The large lion was not only made into a Heartless, but a Nobody as well. As the herd soon cleared out of the area, a still silence hung over the gorge once again. The dusty air made it difficult to see, but before long every Organization member was present on the canyon floor. The confused Heartless was herded back into a Dark Corridor by Xigbar, Luxord departed to find the Nobody in the darkness between worlds, and Zexion left behind an exact replica of the deceased king as a corpse.

The Schemer seemed to keep the gore from Mufasa's 'fatal wounds' minimal as he created the illusion. He would never admit it, but it was likely for the sake of the child. Just was the dust was clearing and Simba's choked calls reached their ears, Zexion and Saix took their leave as well. They slipped through a discreet portal, leaving the new King to deal with his final obstacle.

* * *

Just a final note: I'm thinking of writing a similar story to New Moon, but with Luxord's past. From just thinking up the little bit of information used at the beginning of this chapter, I've brainstormed and collected a lot of ideas for Luxord's backstory (like, a LOT). Any comments? I'd like to know if it's something you guys would be interested in reading. Thanks!


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